The Death Penalty by Ambrose Bierce

Name: The Death Penalty
Author: Ambrose Bierce

The story follows a man named John P. Mandrake, who is sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. As he awaits his execution, Mandrake reflects on his life and the injustices that have led him to this point. Despite his innocence, he accepts his fate and prepares himself for death. The story raises questions about the fairness of the justice system and the morality of capital punishment.

By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1890 · Genre: Short Stories, Classics, Historical · 3 chapters · 5,099 words

First lines

"DOWN with the gallows!" is a cry not unfamiliar in America. There is always a movement afoot to make odious the just principle of "a life for a life" -- to represent it as "a relic of barbarism," "a usurpation of the divine authority," and the rotten rest of it The law making murder punishable by death is as purely a measure of self-defense as is the display of a pistol to one diligently endeavoring to kill without provocation. Even the most brainless opponent of "capital punishment" would do that if he knew enough. It is in precisely the same sense an admonition, a warning to abstain from crime. Society says by that law: "If you kill one of us you die," just as by display of the pistol the individual whose life is attacked says: "Desist or be shot." To be effective the warning in either case must be more than an idle threat.

What this Textopian page supports

The Death Penalty is listed on Textopian as an essay by Ambrose Bierce, dated 1890 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Essay
Author: Ambrose Bierce
Date: 1890 CE
Language: English
Genres: Short Stories, Classics, Historical, Satire, Horror
Length: 5,099 words
Structure: 3 chapters, 49 paragraphs
Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

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Genres

Short Stories — The book is a compilation of several short stories
Classics — The book, written by Ambrose Bierce, is considered a classic in literature
Historical — The setting and social context are specific and authentic to a certain historical period
Satire — The book's content often criticizes society and provides intellectual humor