Everyman or a Monster? The Rapist in Early Modern England, c.1600-1750

Abstract

The focus of this article is on responses to men who raped in early modern England and Wales. Most historical writing on sexual violence and rape in the period has focused on the women and children who were subjected to such abuse rather than upon the perpetrators. The rapist, when he appears, is presented at some times as everyman and at others a monster. The article explores what may be at stake in such a dichotomous view and its unresolved tensions not only for historians but also for early modern people. Using primary sources including pre-trial depositions, printed sessions papers, and newspaper reports of rape and rape, the article explores some of the ways in which early modern people responded to the figure of the rapist, viewing rape either as an ordinary expression of male desire or an extraordinary exhibition of brutish force in ways that seem at once familiar and alien to modern commentators