In "Bring Up the Bodies," Hilary Mantel explores the complex relationship between guilt and justice through the thoughts of Gregory, where the question of guilt shifts in meaning. He juxtaposes an individual's wrongdoing with the legal determination of guilt, highlighting how the two can diverge significantly. This distinction reveals the inherent separation between moral accountability and legal verdicts.

The narrative illustrates how the legal profession often operates in its own realm, focusing on technicalities and outcomes rather than the human elements involved. Mantel critiques this detachment, suggesting that it strips away the core of human experience and morality, leaving a system that prioritizes verdicts over lived reality.