The guillotine was a device used for carrying out executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which a heavy blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the victim's head from his or her body. The device is noted for long being the main method of execution in France and, more particularly, for its use during the French Revolution. The guillotine also became a part of popular culture, celebrated as the people's avenger by supporters of the Revolution and vilified as the preeminent symbol of the Terror by opponents. The basis for the machine's success was the belief that it was a humane form of execution. In France, before the guillotine, members of the nobility were beheaded with a sword or axe, while commoners were usually hanged.In the case of decapitation, it also sometimes took repeated blows, thus the optimism towards the swift guillotine.