Quote:
Originally Posted by MarchHare
What I find most interesting about that passage is the way it's phrased as a punishment for the man. "If you rape a woman, your penalty is 50 bits and being forced to marry her against your will. And you can't divorce her ever. Oh, and since women are considered property, you must pay the fine to her legal owner, her father."
It's not outright stated, but the message is also inferred that this punishment is considered beneficial to the victim. "Now that you've been violated, no respectable man will take you as a wife, so we'll hook you up with your attacker. Don't worry, he'll take care of you."
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Taken in cultural context of when it was written, women were essentially property to be taken or left as a man saw fit. Forcing a man to take responsibility for his actions in this way was probably a progressive way of dealing with the situation. Very sad yes, but likely a reality.