Why is て-form being used in 「そして罪を受けて当然な悪人が心臓麻痺で死んでいく裏で」


In

> そして罪を **受けて** 当然な悪人が心臓麻痺で死んでいく裏で
>
> Therefore, true criminals who have accepted their crimes (罪を受けて) will die of
> heart attacks behind the scenes...

Why is a て-form verb used here, as opposed to other forms like

> そして罪を **受けた** 当然な悪人が心臓麻痺で死んでいく裏で
>
> そして罪を **受ける** 当然な悪人が心臓麻痺で死んでいく裏で

where both e.g. 受けた and 当然な are modifying 悪人 as 連体形? Would all 3 of these
sentences be acceptable? Or is there some crucial nuance that using the て-form
imbues on the sentence?




The na-adjective (also used as a noun) 当然(だ) means "natural, reasonable,
deserved, inevitable" and 当然な悪人/当然の悪人 makes no sense by itself. (This is a
reason your second and third sentences seem unacceptable.) In the original
sentence, the verb in te-form 受けて does not directly modify 悪人 but does 当然だ,
and makes up the expression 「(verb in te-form) + 当然(だ) "it is
natural/reasonable/deserved to (verb)"」.

As another point, 罪 in the expression 罪を受ける means a punishment or a reward
(for a bad behavior) and not crime. 罪を受け入れる "accept one's guilt" expresses
something different. 罪を受けて当然な悪人 "climinals (lit. bad people) who are deserved
to get punished"




The na-adjective (also used as a noun) 当然(だ) means "natural, reasonable,
deserved, inevitable" and 当然な悪人/当然の悪人 makes no sense by itself. (This is a
reason your second and third sentences seem unacceptable.) In the original
sentence, the verb in te-form 受けて does not directly modify 悪人 but does 当然だ,
and makes up the expression 「(verb in te-form) + 当然(だ) "it is
natural/reasonable/deserved to (verb)"」.

As another point, 罪 in the expression 罪を受ける means a punishment or a reward
(for a bad behavior) and not crime. 罪を受け入れる "accept one's guilt" expresses
something different. 罪を受けて当然な悪人 "climinals (lit. bad people) who are deserved
to get punished"

