Trail Of Martyrdom: Persecution and Resistance in Sixteenth-Century England

This work examines the stages by which religious dissidents were persecuted by Tudor monarchs across the 16th century, and the means by which these dissidents counteracted authorities. During each stage of persecution, many dissidents were able to elude capture, counter-interrogate their inquisitors, use time in prison to write letters and prepare for death, and exploit their own executions to forge a final drama of suffering and redemption before a large, public audience. Enforcement was always dependent upon cooperation from the public and local officials, which made successful persecution uncertain at best. This text explores the details of this system of enforcement, and the means by which it was subverted. It also discusses larger questions concerning obedience and disobedience, tolerance and intolerance, and the dynamics of martyrdom.