indictment and incarceration

[KuaiLe]

Dear Teachers,

I read this from p.248, Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire:

"...partly for punishment, they set the glass into the lid of the coffin, so the girl's beautiful form could decompose as they watched, and as it rotted, their own indictment and incarceration would be more fully nailed upon them too."

What does it mean by "indictment and incarceration would be more fully nailed upon them"?

[Casiopea]

Hello, KuaiLe.

indictment means, accusation or cause for blame, whereas incarceration means, to imprison or to confine.

"...partly for punishment, they set the glass into the lid of the coffin, so the girl's beautiful form could decompose as they watched, and as it rotted, their own indictment and incarceration would be more fully nailed upon them too."

In other words, and just like the theme that runs through Dovstoyosky's Crime and Punishment, they are to blame - and will suffer for it spiritually or psychologically in the end - for what they have done.