10 Worst Women of All Time

So much for the fairer sex

A photograph of Irma Grese by John Silverside, 1945 (Wikimedia Commons)

If I asked you to think of an evil person from history, there’s a high probability that a man would pop into your head.

(I’m guessing most people would picture Adolf Hitler.)

But you’d be wrong to assume that history is devoid of psychotic women — believe me, there are plenty of bloodthirsty females to choose from.

If you think women are incapable of committing horrific crimes, these chilling examples should change your mind.

1. Queen Isabella I of Castile

A painting of Queen Isabella I of Castile by an unknown artist, c. 1490 (Wikimedia Commons)

Religious tensions rippled through Spain in the fifteenth century. The nation was majority Catholic, but there were Jewish and Muslim minorities, too.

Along with her husband King Ferdinand II of Aragon, Isabella I of Castile set up a court of inquiry called the Spanish Inquisition. This institution aimed to find and punish heretics, most of whom were Jewish.

Thousands were tortured, interrogated, and burned alive by the Inquisition. Before long, even minor crimes were punishable, including subversive speech.