Medieval Life was perilous for those who lived during this period. There were a number of issues that made life particularly difficult. Low literacy rates meant that people had little access to information. Because travel was difficult and dangerous, they also had little access to information that would help them improve their lives. In addition, their lives were almost completely under the control of the Roman Catholic Church, which was the wealthiest institution and therefore the most powerful. Anyone who was not a member of the Catholic Church could be accused of heresy and subject to punishment. These punishments were so severe they could even lead to death. According to one scholar, "since the church was not permitted to shed blood, the sentenced heretic was surrendered to the secular authorities for execution, usually by burning at the stake" (Blotzer 1997). Living during threats like this in the period of the...
[ View Full Essay]