The death penalty is a multi-layered manifestation of state power. From a quantitative perspective, it conveys the amount of force the state is willing to deploy in order to control its people. More interestingly, however, from a qualitative perspective it symbolises the character of the state's power which then shapes the relationship between the state and its citizenry. Yet, despite the power of the death penalty to shape the expectations of its people, the connections between punishment and social psychology are far from direct. The death penalty employs a particular form of discourse to captivate particular forms of individual thought. The legalised killing of a citizen is more of a sacrificial ritual that meshes with and fortifies social mythologies that legitimise certain political and ideological arrangements. Throughout history, societies have used mythologies to guide individuals' adjustments to social norms, their status relative to others, and their appropriate roles. Directly or indirectly, myths are powerful tools that model appropriate ways of acting and outline the contours of imagining who we are and who we can be.

By using ritualistic elements, the death penalty speaks to all of these aspects of myth, and an examination of these forms and relationships could provide us with novel insight into the nature of capital punishment, if not punishment in general.