The Unforgivable Curses are: Cruciatus Curse (Crucio), Imperius Curse (Imperio), Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra).

Which one of those curses is worse?

The punishment is the same, a life sentence in Azkaban.

Is that fair?

A Dementor's kiss.

Is it a punishment at all?

Which one of those curses is worse?

The punishment is the same, a life sentence in Azkaban.

Is that fair?

A Dementor's kiss.

Is it a punishment at all?

I think that it all depends on how the curse is used. If it is used in self-defense against a bad person, then I think it does not deserve a life sentence or the dementors kiss. 10-15 years most definitely, if not more.

I believe that it is the same as killing someone with a gun. If someone is trying to stab you with a knife [like the Cruciatus curse, pain] then it is alright to shoot them in self-defense.

I believe that it all depends on the circumstanced. I 100% believe that the killing curse is the worst, althought there are circumstances [Neville Longbottom's parents, for example] where I change my opinion.

i honestly believe the Cruciatus Curse is the worst of the Unforgivable curses for one is truly hurting someone when they use it and if used in excess it could cause a person to become mentally unstable (you know wat I mean) and that is truly worse then just killing then because now there family has to live with them in a state of mentally anguish and that is not a life worth living.
The killing curse is quick and painless and there gone. The imperius is seccond worst in my book because it could force someone to do anything and who knows what that anything could be. however i believe that that since the Cruciatus curse was mae to put people through agonizing pain that could leave them in a state of mental sock for the rest of their life it is the worst Unforgivable Curse.

As for is the dementors kiss a suitabe punishment for using an Unforgivable Curse, no, not really, the Life Sentence in Azkaban letting them die in there own mental anguish, thats punishment enough, but it is wrong for anybody, the life sentence is enough, the dementors should not have been there.

First I think that a dementor's kiss should be unforgivable and it should never ever be used. I mean there is nothing that a person could do that would warrant their soul being sucked out of their bodies.

I mean I know she had to make the dementor's a thing of nightmares, but I hate that this punishment was used on Barty Crouch. He could have been put back into prison.

I do think those punishments for using an unforgivable curse is right on the money. Especially if you hold it up against the muggle system of law. Murder, well in the USA and in some states is a capital crime, meaning they can ask for the death penalty. Forcing someone to do your bidding I think carries a life sentence depending on what you make them to. And then torture is a life sentence as well. So I don't think she was off the mark on that.

I think that having the dementors as guards at the prison was cruel and unusual punishment. You have already locked up these people and they have to spend their lives in a tiny cell never leaving and not even being allowed to be buried with their families. But then you have these creatures that suck out all their happy memories and you make then live in the gutters of their minds. Reliving every horrible thing that has ever happened to them. I mean what if a person had been abused as a child, mentally, physically, sexually and you are forcing them to relive that horror ever single day because you suspect them of opening up the Chamber of Secrets of something like that. How is that justice?

Justice is supposed to be swift and fair and never cruel. Justice is having someone pay for a broken window when they break it. Not chopping off their hand.

I think this is absolutely correct. It DOES depend on the circumstances. Self-defense is forgiveable. But if you just use it to torture or kill a person, it deserves progressive sentences.

Imperious should be given a 15-year sentence, in my opinion. No chance of parole, if Azkaban prison is like muggle prisons.

Cruciatus should be given life term in prison. No chance of parole.

And Avada Kedavra equals Dementor's Kiss. No questions asked. No chances given.

The Dementor's Kiss is a great punishment. If you walk around this earth with no soul, you have no chance to hurt people because you don't know the people you are hurting. Just killing a person doesn't give them a chance to repent. But if you threaten a person with a Dementor's Kiss, they will most likely try to show you that they are trying to change, at least. Because they will know exactly what is coming to them. Death doesn't end things. The loss of a soul does.

I've always thought the Cruciatus Curse is the worst of all the Unforgivable Curses. With both the Killing Curse and Imperius Curse, it seems like you don't feel a thing. I think everyone would rather either of those over continuous torture. And as for the Dementor's Kiss -- I agree completely with both Herminny and Tomasina Riddle.

I completely agree with everything you've said - I believe that each case where an Unforgiveable has been used should be looked at and judged seperately. It may be the only option in self defence.
I also think the Dementor's Kiss is quite a bit extreme - even worse than death. I believe life imprisonment and being forced into the company of Dementors would be far worse. Being alone to rot, feeling nothing but sorrow, I think that would be a pretty bad way to go.
They can also get things wrong - look at Sirius Black. He almost received the Dementor's Kiss for a crime he didn't commit. It just seems too risky.
I'd say keep the Dementor's there as 'guards', rather than to suck someone's soul out. Keep them there to invoke misery and anguish.

In my opinion, and after taking two semesters of criminal justice, I believe that the use of any Unforgivable Curse, especially the torture curse, constitutes some form of Capital Punishment (ie. The Dementor's Kiss, Life in Prison without Parole, etc.) The torture of someone into madness, in my opinion, is the worst of all. As a prime example, in the case of Frank and His Wife Longbottom v. Barty Crouch Jr. there is a definitive need for Capital Punishment. The Torture Curse (Cruciatius Curse) is the worse of all, with the Imperius Curse as a close second.

However, we cannot overlook the other two curses simply because I do not find them the worst.

The Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra) can never be used in true self-defense. As stated in the books and by JK Rowling herself, a person must truly find hatred in the individual intended to be killed. In this definition, a person cannot use the curse in self-defense because there has been no proof of hatred toward the individual. By my logic, the Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra) stands as a crime punishable by death (ie. The Dementor's Kiss.)

The Total Control Curse (Imperius Curse) stands on level ground with the the Torture Curse (Cruciatus Curse). Within the set rules of morality, having the desire to want to totally control another individual is henous and inexcusable. And by the sheer pleasure of doing so, a person has already lost a piece of themselves. Not to mention the sick and perverse nature of this crime!

If a person ever finds themselves using one of these Unforgivable Curses, the crime should be punishable by death or by some form of Capital Punishment.

I like being in control of my self so Imperio would be the worse for me. I don't like other people being in control of what I do. They could make me go play with spiders or jump off a cliff or something. That would kill me more then anything. I'm not afraid of dying or pain, so they really wouldn't bother me at all.

The Imperius Curse is the strongest Unforgivable Curse and all the other ones are just versions thereof. Just think about it - not being in control of yourself is torture as it is something you've been able to do your whole life. People freak out when they're not in control of themselves or a situation they may face. And the killing curse? That's also just another version of the Imperius Curse because when you have total control over someone else and their actions, you can make them kill themselves just as easily and just as quickly.

Life in Azkaban sounds like a pretty fair sentence as far as punishment goes for any of the curses and there's no need for a dementor's kiss. After a while, they'll probably be begging for one as they'll be going insane in Azkaban either way.

i think the Cruciatus Curse is the worst because you go through physical pain, the Imperius Curse would be next because the person has complete control of you and makes you do whatever they want, and lastly Avada Kedavra i think is last because even though it is the Killing Curse, you feel no pain where as the others include pain.

Which Unforgivable is the worst? Oooh that's a hard question. The pain of the Cruciatus could cause you to go insane... the Killing Curse would really be better, in that case. But by itself, the Killing Curse... taking someone's life, when they could live a long and happy one, taking someone away from their family and friends... that is evil, even if it is painless. the Imperius Curse is like a form of torture... but you can fight it, so I don't think it's the worst, even if it is terrible. I think that maybe they are all 'evenly evil'.
The Dementor's Kiss? I'm not sure if anyone deserves that... Azkaban is bad enough, I think. If you are as evil as Voldemort, maybe that's justice, but I don't know...

I would say that they are all about equally evil.
But I can't say which one I would dread the most, I would hate any of them being used on myself.
How would anyone know the Killing Curse is painless? Harry, of course, survived it, but he was protected by his mother's love for him, so, of course, it didn't have the outcome Voldemort wanted.
Imperius is just wrong. It's terrible to have complete control over another human being.
Crucio...is just excruciating pain. Which can cause trauma.
So, yes, I'd say all are just about evenly wicked and wrong.

For the second question: Did Sirius Black deserve a life sentence in Azkaban? He didn't even commit the crime. It was Peter Pettigrew, so I wouldn't be opposed to anyone putting Peter in Azkaban, but I really don't think it's my place to dictate who should die in such a depressing, awful place as Azkaban. So, does anyone really ever deserve the death sentence? And who are we to decide who lives and who dies?

And for the third, yes, yes, yes.
That is about the worst punishment I could ever dream up.
To go on living, but without your soul?
I would never want that for anyone.
Yes, I agree that it definitely couldn't be used merely as self-defence unless there was a specific case. An example would be a person who already hated the person attacking them, and did, in fact, use the Killing Curse as self-defence. Although that could happen, using Avada Kedavra is much too extreme.


I agree with you about the Kiss of Death, it's terrible. Without our souls, what would we be? Basically just an empty shell, void of emotion. I couldn't imagine being doomed to live like that, without any feeling or opinions.
I definitely do not think that anyone should ever have to go through that, I know I wouldn't want to.

Well, I wouldn't sentence someone to a life sentence in Azkaban with the dementors there. You're right, it is terrible.
But, I would personally keep the dementors as guards, but not allow them to perform the Kiss; however, if they were kept on as guards, I think there should be a considerably lessened amount of time ordered spent in Azkaban.
I think spending time around dementors would be justice if it wasn't for an extended amount of time. Yes, it would be awful to be forced against your will to brood on your mistakes and unpleasant events in your life, but in some cases that may be what it takes for the extremely corrupt prisoners to repent. For example, if a wizard or witch used the Killing Curse and was sent to Azkaban, perhaps the mere presence of dementors would divert their thoughts to their victim and cause the killer to repent.
I think people can change.
Also, as a side note, I think a week in Azkaban for a crime you didn't commit would be extremely unjust. And a year in Azkaban seems extreme to me, not to mention a lifetime.

Another question, don't want to open a new thread, so I post it here:

Does anybody know if it's actually illegal to be a Death Eater? Does it have any consequences? Or is it just bad, but not against the law?

I think this isn't mentioned in the books, maybe JKR said something in an interview.

a Dementors kiss, is said in the book, to be one of the worst ways to die, because you feel your soul and happiness being sucked out.

Crucio is experiencing the torture and pain.

Avada kedavra is mostly quick shock and death, thats about the easiest death.

Idk about imperio.

i believe crucio might be the worst, torture is horrible.

I think its against the law because hello, you're helping voldemort himself.
anyone interacting with voldemort is due to serve time in azkaban.
which is why bellatrix was there.

that is why lucius hides his death eater things in his home so arthur won't come snooping around and findind evidence that he is still with the dark lord.

of course everyone knows who is a death eater but there is no proof unfortunately.
and when harry sees lucius as the death eater hno one believes him about seeing voldemort so why would they believe him about seeing lucius as a death eater?

hoped that cleared it up a bit.

The Cruciatus Curse is the worst I think because it causes excruciating pain, and that's worse than death.

A life sentence in Azkaban for all three curses is absolutely fair. Torture, making others do things against their will, or taking lives is enough cause to land someone in Azkaban

The Dementor's kiss is a horrible punishment. Being left with nothing but a shell is like being alive with no thoughts, feelings, or purpose. You're superfluous. It's the same as being dead, but still being a burden to those around you. That makes it a terrible punishment.

In my opinion, the Cruciatus Curse is by far the worst because although it's horrible to control other people and even worse to die, being tortured and being helpless to stop it or anything is just horrible. It's despicable. Take Neville's parents for instance. They were tortured to the brink of insanity if not to insanity. This not only affects the two of them, but think of Neville and his grandma. They have to see the two of them like that.

Life sentences are in order because it's terrible to cast those curses and be able to get away from it. I believe that the Dementor's Kiss should be used on those who casted the unforgivables, simply because to kill others, cause excruciating pain and to take over someone elses body and actions is so horrible. Losing your soul and still living without truly being alive is what should be waiting those who don't care what others would be going through when they cast those curses on them.

In my opinion, the Imperius Curse would have to be the worst. Not being in control of yourself, you'd feel beaten. It could also be the longest-lasting. It could last for years. Crucio, sooner of later, you'll die. Avada Kedavra, you'll die. But living is worse if you can't control your actions. It's mental torture, and makes you want to be dead. If you break free of the Imperius, you'll live knowing you've probably done something horrible if Voldemort imperiused you. It's long-lasting. I know Crucio is too, and between living knowing you've done evil acts and living in insanity, it's hard to choose, but I still think Imperio is worse, because I think not being in control is worse than excruciating pain.

Dementor's kiss can be used in circumstances where you use an unforgivable for self-gain, because it's worse than an unforgivable, and you should be punished. However, for Avada Kedavra, maybe a life sentence is reasonable. The Dementor's Kiss is a punishment I would rather die than take. Like Dumbledore said, "there are some things worse than death."

I think the cruciatus is the worst unforgivable curse, because of the pain.
Next is the Imperio Curse because I think "slavery" is worse than death.

I think the Cruciatus Curse is the worst, look what it did to poor Neville's parents! I agree with the Dementor's kiss being used on anyone using the Killing Curse, but otherwise it seems a bit much. And I don't think that a life sentence in Azkaban is punishment enough in some cases of the using of an Unforgivable!

(after reading through the thread): Most of you think Avada Kedavra isn't the worst of The Unforgivable Curses. I must say, that's a bit of a surprise to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by oribia_blue

The Dementor's Kiss is a great punishment. If you walk around this earth with no soul, you have no chance to hurt people because you don't know the people you are hurting. Just killing a person doesn't give them a chance to repent. But if you threaten a person with a Dementor's Kiss, they will most likely try to show you that they are trying to change, at least. Because they will know exactly what is coming to them. Death doesn't end things. The loss of a soul does.

If I understand you correctly, you think that an emotion like remorse is not connected to someone's soul and therefore still "in place", even after a Dementor's Kiss?
Really, I don't get the whole thing. What's the point of extracting someone's soul? I imagine those victims are rather animal-like than human and hardly capable of understanding ethical reasons.
Or is it just a reference to the old story of the one who sells his soul to the devil?
A great punishment, yeah, if you want so. "Human dignity is inviolable" By a Dementor's Kiss you just take dignity away.

I personally think all three curses are just about as equally as bad as eachother.

The Cruciatus Curse must be awful for the person or creature on the receiving end. This may cause them to beg for death, depending on how terrible it really is. I suppose in some ways death may seem more bearable.

The Imperius Curse. A difficult one. I mean it all depends on what you're making this being do. If you're making them carry out your evil deeds e.g. killing, torturing.. Then I suppose it is just as bad as doing it yourself.

The Killing Curse is definately the worst out of all of them, by far. To kill someone is to take away someones right to life, to live their own life. Only the most awful of people deserve this - murderers themselves.

Is a life sentence in Azkaban actually life? Or is it twenty or so years as it is here in the UK? I think living with knowing what you did is just enough punishment, especially locked up in a place with never ending fear of what the dementors kiss may be like.

I find it hard to choose which Unforgivable is worse, but I'll try my best to explain my reasonings behind my choice.

The Imperious curse takes away the ability to think and feel and do for yourself. It is truly heinous in that it effectively robs a person of his free will. That person may then do anything from running around like a chicken to killing innocents in the caster's name. It seems the most dangerous curse to be under. It hurts much more than the castee.

The Cruciatus curse renders an individual crippled with pain. Yes, it hurts, and yes, if under the influence for too long the person may become "soft in the head," but it does not physically harm anybody beyond the person the curse is inflicted upon. This explanation does not mean that I condone the use of the Cruciatus Curse, but it does give me an outline for my reasonings.

The AK curse is what most people believe to be the worst. Yes, it is horrible to end a person's life without their knowledge or consent. That is why we call it murder. However, dying is not the most horrible thing in the world. Again, like the Cruciatus Curse, it does not physically harm anybody other than the castee, and from what I understand, it is not physically harmful to the castee, either. You just...die. That's it. No pain, no last moments flashing before your eyes. The only thing you might feel is a morbid knowledge that you will die, if you realize what it is your killer is casting at you.

So I would have to say that the Imperious curse is the worst of the lot.

As for the punishment, I would say that it is fair to be condemned to a life-sentence in Azkaban for all three. There is a reason, as Hermione says, that these are called unforgivable. They are truly horrible curses to cast, and they are only meant to harm people. There is never a good reason for using an Unforgivable curse. I don't care what the situation may be. There is always an alternative to the Unforgivables.

And the Dementor's Kiss: I do think that is a punishment. Not necessarily after the Kiss is over, because you are then just a shell, so you don't feel or think on your own. But the punishment is in the waiting. During the times between your certain knowledge that you will suffer the Kiss and the time it actually occurs, you realize what it actually means to no longer have a soul. You will no longer be the person you were. And that is a very terrifying thought, don't you think?

I would Say the (Imperius Curse) because its like someone is telling you what to do all the time and I'm very stubburn so they would have to put that curse on me before I would do anything. I like the others though because they look fun to play with and I would not mind spending my life in Azkaban as long as I took other people down with me.I don't go down with grace I have a motto and it is if someone tesses you get them back with the Killing curse or tourcher the fool who dare messed with you.(Sorry if I sound like Bellatrix but that's how I feel)