Revenge
Each book in The Essential literary themes collection is a collection of four essays that cover a particular theme as it manifests in four distinct (Very different) literary works. Revenge is a unique pursuit in that it is a consuming emotion that lasts far longer than other negative or positive emotions. Sadness and joy fluctuate with changing circumstances, but the vengeful mood lasts until it is utterly satisfied, never wavering in intensity. Each work has an intentional stance on revenge in the real world, and each offers its own adaptation of the timeless wrath.
The western novel True Grit differs greatly from contemporary works of the genre, primarily because of its characters. Where the majority of the western genre is the romanticism of the desperado, or lone defender of justice, True Grit maintains that justice must be beyond the individual. The novel follows a girl who wishes to hunt down the outlaw who killed her parents, but she is unable to do so because she lacks the strength. In an un-Western fashion, she seeks help, and through that, she cements her actions as truly just. Rooster is a morally ambiguous sheriff, and Laboef is a dedicated lawman. Through the unity of many people dedicated to the same cause for different reasons, they are able to pursue evil with a robust zeal.
Edgar Allen Poe is famous for his poetry, but multiple of his short-form fiction pieces capture the same masterful skill with the quill. The Cask of Amontillado demonstrates how symbolism is key to making a revenge plot three-dimensional. Taking place in and near a carnival, the subject of the revenge is adorned with a jester’s apparel. He is subsequently shown to be a fool in more than appearance. His bells signify trust in human sensibility, and they rustle all the more as he is betrayed. His betrayer is a member of the Montressor family, whose motto is “Nemo me impune lacessit.” Belonging to a family with a reputation for revenge brings on honor beyond generational strife and further accentuates the foolishness of Fortunato. The titular cask of wine is a symbol for weakness, which was used to lure Fortunato to his fate, showing that it is the fault of the weak to attempt to get away with a grievous offense. At the end of the story, the Fourtunato’s bells jingle one last time, with that sound haunting the Montressor forever. This use of symbolism is key to weight, tangibly manifesting the weakness possessed by all humans.
Shakespeare constantly employs the comparative. He contrasts two ideals to weave a vivid struggle, prompting the reader to use their own morals in an attempt to predict the conclusion. In this Essential Theme essay, the author contrasts Othello with Hamlet, both of which are tragedies centered around revenge. The significance of the doubt Hamlet experiences is far-reaching, as it intensifies the tension. On the other hand, though Iago never doubts, he is a coward in his pursuit, preferring manipulation to confrontation. Both care not for the lives of others, but that is only an extension of the fact that they no longer care for their own life. Shakespeare is renowned for his understanding of his audience. Modern literary historians cite a recent political development in the Elizabethan age to support their belief that Shakespeare wished to condemn not the emotion behind revenge, but the act itself. He defends the recent shift in legislation that makes blood feuds illegal by illustrating how both Iago’s vileness and Hamlet’s honor lead to needless suffering, thereby demonstrating that ends never justify the means.
Whether a political statement or an engaging metaphor, revenge is an idea as old as hate. Fiction imitates life, and in dissecting that mimicry, we commit ourselves to understanding the human condition.