This quote is from Christopher Marlowe's play "The Jew of Malta", and also is spoken by the character Barabas. In the context of the play, Barabas has been caught by authorities and is provided the selection in between admitting to his crimes as well as being executed or denying his guilt and also being hurt up until he admits.
The full quote reads:
" Confess and be hanged!/ Deny, as well as be tortured with tenfold shelfs:/ Then, if you do confess, fatality's mild hand/ Shall close your eyes, as well as silent your repose."
The quote highlights the ruthless nature of justice in Marlowe's time, where confession was frequently removed via torment as well as punished with death. It also shows the theme of revenge in the play, as Barabas looks for to retaliate the wrongs done to him by the government and society at huge.
Generally, the quote illustrates the extreme truths of justice in Marlowe's era and also raises questions about the values of utilizing abuse to remove confessions.
"I claim to be a simple individual liable to err like any other fellow mortal. I own, however, that I have humility enough to confess my errors and to retrace my steps"
