ordeal vs persecution

ordeal

noun
  • A trial in which the accused was subjected to a dangerous test (such as ducking in water), divine authority deciding the guilt of the accused. 

  • A painful or trying experience. 

  • The poisonous ordeal bean or Calabar bean 

persecution

noun
  • The act of persecuting. 

  • A program or campaign to subjugate or eliminate a specific group of people, often based on race, religion, sexuality, or social beliefs. 

How often have the words ordeal and persecution occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )