Medieval torture refers to the various methods used during the Middle Ages to inflict pain and suffering on individuals, often for punishment or interrogation. Common techniques included the rack, which stretched the victim's body, and flaying, where skin was removed. These methods were intended to extract confessions or deter crime. Torture was often public, serving as a spectacle to instill fear in the populace. Instruments like the iron maiden and thumbscrew were designed to maximize agony. While these practices were prevalent, they also reflected the harsh legal systems of the time, where justice was often brutal and unforgiving.