Originally, the guillotine was designed to provide equal dispatching regardless of status and class in society. The individual who came up with the concept wanted to remove the death penalty, but saw it as stepping stone to reduce some of the cruelest forms of executing the lower class.
Much to his horror, the guillotine was so efficient that executions increased significantly. The bloody history reminds of two things - all should be equal before the law, and be careful of mob mentality.
