Question

Use the text to answer the question.

(20) For a trivial offence, a free man shall be fined only in proportion to the degree of his offence, and for a serious offence correspondingly, but not so heavily as to deprive him of his livelihood. . . .

(21) Earls and barons shall be fined only by their equals, and in proportion to the gravity of their offence.

—English translation of the Magna Carta, courtesy of the British Library

How does this excerpt reflect the benefits and drawbacks of the Magna Carta?


A) The document reduces the power of the central government but does not secure the rights of citizens.


B) The document promotes democratic governance but without protecting civic participation.


C) The document provides protections for English citizens but does not provide equal protections.


D)The document provides for the rule of law but does not extend that rule to the monarch.

Answer 1

This excerpt reflects that (c.) the document provides protections for English citizens but does not provide equal protections.

Magna Carta was a document issued in the 13th century and it established that everyone, even the monarch, was subject to the law. It was mainly designed to solve the problems that had arisen between the King and the rebel barons. This excerpt shows that, although the document protects the English citizen that commits an offence, it does not offer the same protection that it offers to the man that belongs the highest class since it establishes that, unlike ordinary citizens, earls and barons can only be judged by people that belong to their same social class. The reason why the document offers unequal protection is because Magna Carta had been designed by the barons to ensure that their own rights were protected.