Public Executions
One of the most horrifying aspects of Gilead is “the wall”, where people are hung in a very public place, in order to strike fear into the hearts of people in society. It is a well-known fact that for centuries, criminals were executed in public. They were either hung or had their heads chopped off by a guillotine. This was seen as a gruesome form of entertainment, but it also reminded the public to behave, if they did not want to be forced upon the scaffold.
Without giving away any spoilers, season 2 of The Handmaid’s Tale shows a scene with a public execution that takes place at an indoor swimming pool. In the Bible verse Matthew 18:6, If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”