The Stages of Cruelty by William Hogarth

The Stages of Cruelty by William Hogarth

The stages of Cruelty by William Hogarth features a series of printed engravings with Tom Nero as the main protagonist. Hogarth created the series with the aim of preventing the cruel handling of animals in London (Brisman, 2017).  Nero is featured as someone with a ruthless attitude towards animals, something that he developed from his early age. The series serves as a lesson about the implications of thug child life and animal mistreatment.

The first stage shows a group of youths abusing animals and birds. The boys carry all sorts of abuse such as cockfighting, stringing kittens and dogfighting. Nero is at the center inflicting the worst abuse by sticking an arrow through the dog’s anus (Beirne, 2017). Others stand on the wall pointing at Nero and telling him to stop the abuse. The scene underlines the behavior could deteriorate and become severe.

The second stage of cruelty shows animal abuse happening in the streets of London. Nero is now an adult, whipping his horse, which has collapsed in the struggle to pull an overloaded cart. The cart is carrying two barristers who also seem not to care whether it is overloaded (Beirne, 2017). Other forms of abuse happen on the scene. Two bears pull a cut while the rider is asleep and runs over a fallen child. A group of people chases a bull, and a poster legalizes animal cruelty (Beirne, 2017). The scene shows how animal abuse is already severe and ordinary in streets of London.

The third stage is “cruelty perfection.” The stage features Nero being held by outraged farmers after murdering a woman. Tom’s cruelty escalates, and he sadistically murders a pregnant woman. On the scene is a stone written: “Here lies the body” (Beirne, 2017). The victim “Ann Gill” is his lover and this shows how vicious he became against all sorts of life including humans.

The fourth stage is “Reward of Cruelty.”  The stage shows and Nero suffering for his vicious behavior. Nero is executed through hanging, and his body is being used for studying anatomy by a team of doctors and scholars (Beirne, 2017). The room has a court of arm signifying that a judgment by the court. The surgeons do to him as he did to animals and he pays the ultimate price for his cruelty.

Animal cruelty is inhuman, and William Hogarth tried to pass the message through the printed engraves. The fictional scene signified what was already happening in London. Hogarth teaches that animal abuse and murder have consequences later in life.