In "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood, the severe punishment for rape is highlighted through the biblical reference from Deuteronomy 22:23-29, which states that the penalty is death. This reflects the extreme measures taken against sexual transgressions in the dystopian society depicted in the novel. Such harsh consequences are part of the authoritarian regime's oppressive control over women's bodies and their autonomy.

The quote serves to illustrate the moral and legal framework imposed on individuals, especially women, in the story. It emphasizes the perverse interpretation of justice and punishment within a patriarchal society that prioritizes control and dominance, stripping women of their rights and reducing them to mere vessels for reproduction.