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Discuss the theme of revenge in literature
Defining revenge in literature
Revenge as a theme in literature
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Revenge is defined as harming someone for the wrong doings that they commit. Revenge is the key ingredient to hundreds of the most loved and action packed movies, books, and shows of today. Because of the fact that there is so much vengeance played out in entertainment media, society encourages revenge as necessary to those seeking retribution. Works of art such as Kill Bill and “Killings” are prime examples of stories that are about revenge.
As mentioned before, Kill Bill is known for its goriness, kung fu fighting, and vengeful plot. It appeals to millions and millions of people across the world. The movie is highly entertaining to many, but does that mean it sends a good message to society? In the two-part movie by Quentin Tarantino, the pregnant protagonist is nearly killed by her ex-boyfriend and his gang of assassins. The protagonist wakes up in a hospital from a four-year-long coma with no baby. Like most movies of today, the protagonist did not wakeup with feelings of forgiving those who wronged her. She didn’t want to confront them in a civil and mature manner. She didn’t seek the help of the law. She did what society expected of her. She did what the people who watched her wanted her to do. She went out on a revenge-seeking rave and killed everyone that was on her hit list. What do people learn from this movie? People learn that the only way for the protagonist to seek retribution was by killing nearly 100 people (imdb.com). This movie shows that it is necessary to have revenge and society approves.
For example, one critic whose username is Cocephus calls the revenge in the plot “cool”. “The end feels right, coming after an epic battle…” (Cocephus). The ending of Kill Bill is that the main character successfu...
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In The Unvanquished by William Faulkner, the theme of revenge appears throughout the story. Primarily, Bayard and Ringo avenge the death of Rosa Millard, their grandmother. By violently shooting the sociopath Grumby, Granny’s killer, their revenge is wrought through the traditional Southern form of closure, bringing about the death of the killer and avenging the victim. Next, Drusilla, Bayard’s cousin, displays revenge by joining Colonel Sartoris of the Confederate army in order to avenge the death of her fiancé. By joining the Confederates, Drusilla gains the opportunity to kill the Yankee soldiers responsible for her fiancé’s death in battle. Finally, Bayard exacts vengeance upon Redmond for murdering Colonel John Sartoris, Bayard’s father. However, Bayard achieves his goal of seeking revenge in a nonviolent way, avoiding killing anyone, breaking the traditional Southern code of revenge. Each character struggles with the necessity to avenge the death of their loved ones, seeking the ultimate, most appropriate punishment for the murderer who harms their family.
Slaughterhouse Five is not a book that should be glanced over and discarded away like a dirty rag. Slaughterhouse Five is a book that should be carefully analyzed and be seen as an inspiration to further improve the well-being of mankind. Vonnegut makes it clear that an easy way to improve mankind is to see war not as a place where legends are born, but rather, an event to be avoided. Intelligent readers and critics alike should recognize Vonnegut’s work and see to it that they make an effort to understand the complexities behind the human condition that lead us to war.
...sening up in this country, although not quite to the extreme as in Natural Born Killers. Despite the controversy caused by the assumed message that "killing is cool," there is important ideology embedded within the film. There is sanity within the insane. The film, in a sense, displays the consequences caused by the suppression of the inner, free soul. We've all seen instances of people "cracking" under the pressures of modern society. I'm not suggesting that we live like wild animals, but I do think that Natural Born Killers is an excellent movie which made a natural attempt to kill standard ideology.
Vengeance is the act of taking revenge for a past wrong. In the Crucible, Thomas Putnam and Abigail Williams both took advantage of circumstances to carry out vengeance against different people.
The idea of revenge is scary I see why people do it but I do and don't agree with it. Sometimes I see why someone can want to get revenge back but also other times you should just leave the situation alone and leave things be. Maybe the purpose of revenge is in preventing that
I would like to write an essay over. In my personal preference I chose revenge as my motif.
Humanity is considered synonymous with compassion and tolerance. These definitions coincide with core Christian values of treating others with respect. These traits culminate into a general understanding that humanity is mainly characterized by having strong morals and conscience. In Paul A. Cantor’s critical essay of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, called “Hamlet’s Christian Beliefs Stifle his Heroic Impulse”, the author attributes many of the protagonist’s decisions to his religion, and more specifically his conscience. Hamlet is about a prince whose father was murdered and replaced as king by his uncle Claudius. Throughout he play, Hamlet contemplates Claudius’ guilt and how to exact revenge in a way
Revenge is considered part of human nature because it is a survival instinct. Humans are inclined to commit acts of savagery because people are delicate beings. The Oxford English Dictionary defines revenge as, “the action of hurting or harming someone in return for an injury or wrong suffered.” Two good examples involve Montresor from the Cask of Amontillado and the unknown narrator from the Tell- Tale Heart. Montresor murders a fellow wine connoisseur because he insulted Montresor in a manner that could not be exonerated. The narrator of the Tell-Tale Heart enacts revenge by murdering an old man for provoking the narrator’s worst fears in the form of a “ vulture eye”. In both of these works by Edgar Allen Poe, the need for revenge consumed their internal fears and insecurities to perform those cruel acts. In the end though, both of the people discussed showed signs of remorse that in a way formed the character.
The only real way to truly understand a story is to understand all aspects of a story and their meanings. The same goes for movies, as they are all just stories being acted out. In Thomas Foster's book, “How to Read Literature Like a Professor”, Foster explains in detail the numerous ingredients of a story. He discusses almost everything that can be found in any given piece of literature. The devices discussed in Foster's book can be found in most movies as well, including in Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic, “Pulp Fiction”. This movie is a complicated tale that follows numerous characters involved in intertwining stories. Tarantino utilizes many devices to make “Pulp Fiction” into an excellent film. In this essay, I will demonstrate how several literary devices described in Foster's book are put to use in Tarantino’s film, “Pulp Fiction”, including quests, archetypes, food, and violence.
Edgar Allan Poe’s stories are credited for having horror-filled endings. Usually darkness is considered to be a good representative of evil, so the setting in “The Cask of Amontillado” is at night-time. This story deals with the jealousy, revenge and, more importantly, wounded family honor. A man named Montresor, whose name is not discovered till the end of story, is seeking vengeance on Fortunato, who has irreparably insulted him. The very first sentence: “THE thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge”, supports the theme of revenge (Poe 161). This theme also suggests that Fortunato had aggrieved Montresor thousands of times, but whenever he insults Montresor and his family, he decides that there needs to be avenge and, which is the murder of a Fortunato. Montresor believes “he is out to get justice by baiting Fortunato” (Whatley 56). Hence, Whatley states “there is no remorse in Montresor’s heart when he finally confesses after fifty years”. So, for the sake of his family honor and self-respect, he vowed to take revenge by killing Fortunato.
Justice is part of revenge; as also for revenge is part of justice. “Justice” comes from a Latin word that means “straight, fair, equal”, it’s the quality of being righteous and loyal towards one’s state, although serves the interests of the stronger (Hourani, 1962), while revenge is the act of taking retaliation for injuries or wrongs. What ever the circumstances are being the individual who experiences a unjust act, results in the hunt for one of these two things: Justice or revenge. What are the key differences between the two? Justice can be defined as the concept of moral rightness, which is based on the rules of law, fairness, ethics, and equality among the governed citizens. Revenge, on the other hand, refers to an action taken by an individual as a response to an act of injustice. The principle of revenge is “an eye for an eye”…. Can revenge be justified and be as equally part of justice if they both seek retribution for a wrongdoing?
The feeling and act of revenge is known to many people. It is often characterized as getting payback on a person in order to gain self-satisfaction. We can most likely all look back at a time when we thought somebody wronged us or made us feel pain. Do you not ever want the person causing the pain to feel a piece of the hurt? This is the feeling of revenge. You can find an easy picture of what revenge looks like when you watch young children argue or fight. Children who hurt others feel that they have been hurt and they try to even up the score. Sometimes people will go through
...ence” is an example of one that is much more than that. Without relating this movie to current political events, the movie might not have resonated with the viewers as deeply as it did. Americans continue to see these types of violent movies for enjoyment; this enjoyment extends beyond the movie theater when the audience can leave with new perspectives. Movies live on through daily conversations, books, and the internet; however, this could only occur if we are able to relate the movie’s message back to something in our lives. People receive messages best when they willingly accept it and Cronenberg claims that Americans willingly accept movie violence because we all have a personal history of violence; that “it's wired into our DNA” (Interview). Without sermonizing, he shows us why we desire what is publicly reprehensible and how we are able to make peace with it.
Revenge has been used in the same context throughout history. Hundreds of years ago people sought revenge for reasons similar to those of present time. The Oxford English Dictionary has recorded the continuance of the meaning of this term, revenge, as wanting to “repay” a person for their wrongful doings since as early as 1553. Many literal pieces from early time periods have used this word and adjusted it to be a core theme. For example, the early poem, Beowulf, highlights epic revengeful battles between the protagonist and antagonists. The author uses revenge as a motivating component to develop relatable plots and characterizations. The journey of how the protagonist, Beowulf, becomes a noble savoir begins with his battle against the descendant
Throughout history, revenge, or vengeance, has been altered by several cultures and even the American culture. This is shown throughout many ancient greek epics. Throughout these two epics, what is just revenge and what the action of revenge is are much different than what Revenge is seen through today’s society. Revenge is the main theme in The Iliad, with Achilles’ revenge on Agamemnon and Hector, and in The Odyssey, with Poseidon’s revenge on Odysseus and Odysseus’s revenge on the Suitors, and these epics define how revenge was seen in the ancient Greek world.