titles for revenge essays

66 Forgiveness Essay: Examples, Titles, & Thesis Statement

A forgiveness essay is an exciting yet challenging task. In our article, you can find good forgiveness essay examples in literature, history, religion, and other spheres

📝 Writing a Forgiveness Theme Statement

🏆 best forgiveness essay examples, 🔍 simple forgiveness titles for essay, 💡 interesting forgiveness essay examples.

In your forgiveness essay, focus on different aspects of forgiveness. Some good forgiveness titles for the essay reveal themes of revenge, justice, and personal forgiveness. You can write an excellent reflective or argumentative essay on forgiveness – it is a versatile topic.

Regardless of your forgiveness essay’s specific topic and type, you should develop a strong thesis statement. Below we will provide recommendations on making a good forgiveness theme statement. This will help you come up with a solid base and arguments to prove your position.

Check these tips to make a powerful forgiveness thesis statemen:

• Determine the primary idea. What are you trying to prove? Can anything be forgiven, or are there cases when it’s not possible? Introduce your one main idea and the angle from which you will look at it. You can also include some facts or opinions about the acuteness of the topic.
• Work out your argumentation. It is crucial to have a firm structure in your forgiveness essay. You need to support the thesis statement with several arguments and evidence to demonstrate the consistency of your paper.
• Think of the opposing views. Every argument has a counterargument. When working on your forgiveness theme statement, always keep an opposite thesis statement in mind. Having considered counter positions, you gain additional arguments for your position.
• Don’t quote others in your thesis statement. A thesis statement is the first and foremost chance to introduce your point of view. Use your own strongest words to reach a reader. This is where they get the first impression about the whole work.

We also have lots of other tips on developing A+ thesis statements. Check our free thesis statement generator to discover more information and get a perfect forgiveness theme statement.

• Forgiveness and Reconciliation Critique Availability of literature; as stated in the literature though the area of forgiveness is new in the field of psychology, but there is enough literature to cover the study.
• Divine and Human Forgiveness in “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” By Samuel Taylor Coleridge After killing the albatross who was suppose to provide them with wind, all the people in the ship died but he managed to survive because he had asked God to forgive him all the sins […]
• Hamlet and Forgiveness: A Personal Reflection Some of the most prominent themes in the story are the ideas of mutual forgiveness, people’s motivation to be proactive and take risks, and their willingness to forgive and ask for forgiveness.
• Christ’s Atonement and the Concept of Forgiveness This study will connect the atonement of Jesus Christ and attitudes towards forgiveness through the revision of the current church, Love and God’s commandment to forgive.
• Service Recovery and Customer Forgiveness Studies suggest that after apologizing to customers plus taking responsibility for the problem, getting to the root of the problem is very important to prevent such occurrences in the future. Getting to the root of […]
• Racial Inequality Targeted Student Loan Forgiveness Programs The research into this topic seems highly significant as the reduction of racial inequality was one of the most debated topics in the U.S.for the last several decades.
• Forgiveness in the Christian Texts and the World Today The apostle calls upon the church’s people to stop the punishment of the wrongdoer and forgive, comfort, and affirm their love for him. It instructs Muslims to follow God and forgive others instead of following […]
• Philosophy of Forgiveness I believe that if anyone had gone through all the pain and horror that Simon had, and was asked to forgive Karl, the instinct, and most humane reaction at that moment would be to strongly […]
• The Effects of Forgiveness Therapy After gathering the relevant data, the researchers compared the recovery of the participants to their controls to determine the effects of forgiveness therapy.
• Self-Forgiveness: The Step Child of Forgiveness Research Other than the similarities and the differences, the two types of forgiveness relate to each other as self-forgiveness facilitates interpersonal forgiveness, this is through allowance of one to identify with one’s offender.
• The Amish Philosophy of Forgiveness It is important to note that the immediate forgiveness of the enemy does not mean that the Amish will let the perpetrators of crime go free.
• Review: “Interventions Studies on Forgiveness: A Meta-analysis” by Baskin T. and Enright R. In the church, members come to the pastor with a variety of social and psychological issues. The first step the pastor should undertake is to sympathise with the victims.
• Self-Forgiveness as the Path to Learning to Forgive the Others The key issues that the given research responds to or, at least, attempts to solve, are the definition of self-forgiveness, the relation between self-forgiveness and interpersonal forgiveness, and the means to differentiate between self-forgiveness and […]
• The Effects of Forgiveness Therapy on Depression, Anxiety and Posttraumatic Stress for Women After Spousal Emotional Abuse Enright forgiveness model applied in the study proved effective since it systematically addressed the forgiveness process identified the negative attributes caused by the abuse, and prepared the women for positive responses.
• Forgiveness & Reconciliation: The Differing Perspectives of Psychologists and Christian Theologians Based on the research design there is evidence of measures put in place to control against most of these biases which strengthens the study findings; this is the strength to the study.
• Forgiveness in Simon Wiesenthal’s Work The Sunflower Taking into account the major themes of the book The Sunflower, one is to make a conclusion that such response to atrocities as forgiveness is considered to be the key aspect of humanity.
• Forgiveness in Martin Luther’s Movement for Rights Blacks The bible teachings tell us that God exists in the holy trinity and the only way to forgive others is for us to be able to forgive our own transgressions.
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• The Monster’s Lack of Forgiveness in Frankenstein, a Book by Mary Shelley
• Conflict Management : Forgiveness And Reconciliation
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• The Renaissance Figure That Wonders the Lands in Hope of Bring Forgiveness in the Pardoner and His Tale
• The Impact of Acceptance, Tolerance, and Forgiveness in Frankenstein, a Novel by Mary Shelley
• Racism, Redemption, Forgiveness and Hope in Minor Miracle, a Poem by Marilyn Nelson
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• The Themes Punishment vs. Forgiveness Present in the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
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• The Meaning and Significance for Christians Today of Forgiveness
• Penalties and Exclusion in the Rescheduling and Forgiveness of International Loans
• Gender Differences in the Relationship Between Empathy and Forgiveness
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• The Importance of Perspectives in Forgiveness and Redemption
• The Economic And Ethical Ambiguities Of African Debt Forgiveness
• Exploring the Themes of Forgiveness and Reconciliation in The Tempest by William Shakespeare
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• The Effects of Forgiveness Therapy on Depression
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Essay Samples on Revenge

Revenge, at its core, is the act of seeking retaliation for a perceived injustice or harm. It stems from a primal human instinct to restore balance and redress wrongs. The desire for revenge often emerges from feelings of anger, betrayal, or a sense of injustice, compelling individuals to take matters into their own hands.

In the realm of literature and mythology, revenge has been a recurring theme, inspiring some of the most memorable characters and stories. From Shakespeare’s Hamlet seeking vengeance for his father’s murder to Alexandre Dumas’ iconic Count of Monte Cristo plotting his elaborate revenge scheme, these tales exemplify the enduring fascination with the intricate workings of retribution.

How to Write an Essay on Revenge

When crafting an essay on revenge, it is essential to explore the various dimensions and consequences of this primal urge. You may examine the psychological toll revenge takes on individuals, the ethical considerations surrounding acts of revenge, or the societal impact of perpetuating cycles of violence in revenge essay example.

Furthermore, consider exploring the ways in which revenge has been depicted in different cultural contexts. Analyze the rituals and codes of honor in ancient civilizations, such as the concept of an eye for an eye in Hammurabi’s Code, or the vendettas of medieval Europe. Additionally, examine how revenge is portrayed in contemporary media, including films, television series, and literature, and the influence it has on popular culture.

To make your revenge essay compelling and well-rounded, draw from a variety of disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, philosophy, and literature. Incorporate relevant theories and concepts, such as Freud’s concept of the “repetition compulsion” or Nietzsche’s exploration of the will to power.

Explore our collection of meticulously curated revenge essays, which encompass a wide range of perspectives, historical analyses, and literary interpretations.

The Power of Revenge, a Virtuous, Ethical and Principled Man I

Sanctimonious hypocrisy, causing one to commit an even greater wrong than the one they seek vengeance for, consumes them with the desire for revenge. Caused by the desire to seek vengeance and punish someone who has caused internal or external pain to one or someone...

• Ethical Dilemma

Form of Abuse, Bully or Revenge or Domestic Violence

The essence of the word “pornography” is obtained from the Greek language, i.e. “Porne and graphos”. The word “porne” comes from the meanings, a captive who is a female or a harlot or a prostitute. While the word “graphos” is “writing with regard to” or...

• Domestic Violence

Motivation Of People Seeking For Revenge

People tend to become extremely motivated in the pursuit of seeking out revenge on others for various reasons. From something mediocre to an extreme. Revenge is the forceful desire to inflict hurt or harm to another for a wrong suffered at their hands or just...

The Powers Of Revenge And Forgiveness

The novel A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah, is a memoir about himself, sharing his harrowing experience as a child growing up and his struggle for survival in Sierra Leone. The unthinkable happened in his village, Mattru Jong. The civil war occurred out of...

• A Long Way Gone

Representation of the Theme of Revenge Through the Characters in Beowulf

In the epic poem Beowulf, there is one prominent way that virtually every major character can be compared: the actions that they take against one another are caused by a desire for revenge due to events in the past. Each of the three primary monsters...

• Beowulf Hero

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Revenge and Injustice in King Lear's Society

In William Shakespeare's renowned tragedy, King Lear, the theme of revenge against society is explored through the character of Edmund. As the illegitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester, Edmund is often belittled and mistreated due to his birth. This mistreatment fuels his bitterness towards...

Exploration of the Theme of Revenge in Shakeapeare's Play Hamlet

Shakespeare's tragedy, Hamlet, is renowned for its compelling exploration of the theme of revenge. Through the character of Hamlet himself, Shakespeare delves into the complex and multifaceted nature of revenge, showcasing its psychological and moral implications. This essay examines how Shakespeare skillfully portrays revenge in...

• Hamlet Revenge

The Destructive Nature of Revenge in Shakespeare's "Macbeth"

The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare delves into the theme of revenge and its impact on the characters, particularly Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and Macduff. The story shows how revenge serves as a powerful motivator that ultimately leads to tragic consequences. This essay aims to explore...

• William Shakespeare

Medea Occur Without Just Explanation

Many actions in Euripides’ Medea. The psychology behind these actions appear unpredictable, but still control key parts of the play. The play begins with a heartbroken Medea, angry and depressed because her husband, Jason, has left her for a new bride. However, the rage Medea...

Best topics on Revenge

1. The Power of Revenge, a Virtuous, Ethical and Principled Man I

2. Form of Abuse, Bully or Revenge or Domestic Violence

3. Motivation Of People Seeking For Revenge

4. The Powers Of Revenge And Forgiveness

5. Representation of the Theme of Revenge Through the Characters in Beowulf

6. Revenge and Injustice in King Lear’s Society

7. Exploration of the Theme of Revenge in Shakeapeare’s Play Hamlet

8. The Destructive Nature of Revenge in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”

9. Medea Occur Without Just Explanation

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Writing a Revenge Essay: Hamlet, Frankenstein, and Other Examples

As Alfred Hitchcock once claimed: “Revenge is sweet and not fattening.”

Would you agree with this statement?

We bet you are striving to start philosophical reasoning in your revenge essay. Well, let us give you the first hint!

One can find the best revenge stories in literature. Thus, it will be your wisest decision to start the essay on revenge with a literary example.

Check out our ideas below!

• ✍️ How to Write a Revenge Essay
• 🤴 Hamlet Essay Prompts
• 👩‍❤️‍👨 Wuthering Heights Essay Prompts
• 🧟 Frankenstein Essay Prompts
• 📝 Revenge Essay Samples
• ⚔️ 35 Topics for a Revenge Essay

✍️ How to Write a Good Revenge Essay? 5 Rules

You may be starting to wonder how to write a revenge essay if you’ve never done it before. Obviously, before getting down to writing, you have to get some essential key points.

We suggest you go through five good rules of creating an excellent essay on revenge.

Rule #1 No Condemnation in an Essay on Revenge

Revenge essays shouldn’t turn into sermons!

Instead of making judgments about a character’s behavior and actions, try to choose a more intelligent approach:

• Explore the background of characters thoroughly: those are most likely to give you the answers;
• Analyze the underlying reasons for the particular character’s deeds;
• Try to interpret the character’s behavior from a psychological perspective.

Rule #2 Less Description – More Analysis

Retelling is excellent when you are delivering the story to your friends. It works the other way round with a revenge essay.

• You should analyze the very depth of revenge with the help of the example;
• Do it by searching for all possible methods and techniques the author uses to describe revenge in literature.

Rule #3 Avoid Subjunctive Mood in Your Revenge Essay

There’s no sense in discussing how things would have turned out should a character acted differently. The revenge has already been implemented. We have no power to change anything.

• The best option is to perform the analysis based on the literary source data;
• Don’t use the subjunctive mood in topics about revenge. Just don’t.

Rule #4 Think Big – Revenge Is a Piece of a Larger Puzzle

In a literary work, there cannot be any accidents. Everything is intertwined and interrelated. This statement is especially true when it comes to a story with the revenge leitmotiv.

• Mind that the act of vengeance can’t be floating in the air. It indeed has the context. Look for it carefully.
• Insert this context into your essay on revenge.

Rule #5 Be Careful with the Personal Opinion

It’s easy to start making judgments about the events and characters’ behavior when writing a revenge essay. But you have to control yourself.

• Avoid expressing the biased and subjective assessment if the essay format doesn’t imply that;
• Try to create a perfect balance of analysis and expressing attitudes towards the events in a story.

🤴 Revenge in Literature: How to Write a Hamlet Revenge Essay

Perhaps, one of the best revenge stories in literature is Hamlet which unwinds very dark parts of a human soul. Vengeance is a propulsive force in Shakespearean drama. So, let’s see how it moves things in the play.

The Theme of Revenge in Hamlet

In ‘The Tragedy of Hamlet,’ revenge at times seems to become the lead character. Almost everyone tries to take revenge on others, using various forms. Avengers, successful and not, are convinced in the righteousness of their behavior. Except for Hamlet.

Let’s have a closer look at three extensive revenge themes in the play.

Revenge in Hamlet Topic Ideas

Here are the revenge essay topics you can develop from these three themes.

• Why was Hamlet constantly delaying the implementation of retribution? Elaborate on the reasons for Hamlet’s lengthy deliberations. Was he born and meant for that? Does the concept of vengeance fit his nature?
• Did Hamlet love Ophelia, or was she a tool for revenge? Analyze the story of their relationships, how Hamlet eventually rejects Ophelia. Try to find answers in his attitude to his mother. Perhaps, he despises and blames all women?
• What drove Hamlet – his pride, madness, fairness? Or something else? Eventually, he accomplishes what the Ghost wanted from him. Why? Try to dive deeper into Hamlet’s character and attitude towards the society he lives in.
• Ponder over the incestuous relations between Laertes and Ophelia. Was Laertes’ affection for his sister the reason he tried to prevent her relations with Hamlet? Perhaps, that is why he decided to take revenge?
• Compare the passionate revenge of Laertes and the passive one of Hamlet: what do the young men have in common? What makes them different? Elaborate on their attitude to women: Hamlet to Gertrude and Laertes to Ophelia.
• Why was Laertes calling himself a bastard? And was he, indeed? Try to prove his words were nothing more but a grounding to his revenge on Hamlet.
• Between Heaven and Hell. Why do you think the Ghost chose Hamlet to implement the revenge? Could the spirit of the murdered King know what consequences it would bring?
• The revenge is a matter of males. Elaborate on possible reasons why the Ghost didn’t want Gertrude to suffer from Hamlet’s revenge? Was she innocent?
• Were there the reasons for Hamlet not to believe the Ghost? Why was it so necessary to find proof for the evil deeds performed by Claudius? Try to build up a consistent connection between the will of the Ghost and Hamlet’s behavior.

Hamlet Quotes about Revenge

Nothing can be more illustrative than direct quotations about revenge.

We offer you this set of the most expressive Hamlet quotes.

• “For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak With most miraculous organ.” Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2
• “I dare damnation. To this point I stand, That both the worlds I give to negligence, Let come what comes, only I’ll be revenged Most thoroughly for my father.” Laertes, Act 4, Scene 5
• “No place, indeed, should murder sanctuarize; Revenge should have no bounds.” King Claudius, At 4, Scene 7

Here you can find more Hamlet quotes about revenge, and not only.

👩‍❤️‍👨 Revenge in Literature: How to Write a Wuthering Heights Revenge Essay

Another great story about the intricacies of life and revenge is Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. It introduces complicated and intertwined life stories where you can find a lot about love and revenge.

The story is rich in philosophical and social issues . Thus, a revenge essay based on Wuthering Heights is sure to turn out very fruitful.

Wuthering Heights Theme of Revenge

Revenge, bitter and unsatisfying, pierce the whole novel. Heathcliff performs as the main avenger, but there is more.

Wuthering Heights Revenge Topic Ideas

This is how you can elaborate on the theme of revenge in Wuthering Heights.

• Are all children innocent? Why did they turn out to be vengeful adults? Traceback to the roots of mutual hatred between two boys: what was the start of it? Why was Hindley jealous of Heathcliff? Did Hindley have good ground for despising Heathcliff?
• What is the role of Mr. Earnshaw in the development of toxic relationships between Heathcliff and his family members? Was his bringing Heathcliff to the house a subconscious desire to avenge his children or prove something to them?
• Extreme anger sometimes happens to be the concealed liking, especially between men. Is it possible that Hindley had a latent affection for Heathcliff? If so, was his behavior justified a bit?
• Were the children (Hareton, Cathy, Linton) to suffer from Heathcliff’s vengeance? Do you think they are responsible for what their parents have done? Why didn’t Heathcliff spare them from suffering?
• Why did Catherine choose Edgar Linton to become her husband? Was it ever possible for Heathcliff to let them live? Catherine provoked Heathcliff on these feelings; was she aware of the potential consequences?
• What are the reasons for Heathcliff’s ill-treatment of Isabella? Was she a proper target for his outrageous revenge? Why didn’t she try to defend herself thoroughly from the abuse? Perhaps, she accepted herself as a sacrifice?
• What does the cycling structure of the novel mean? Elaborate on the reasons for such an outcome. Why was the society Heathcliff lived in so ill-fated? Do the participants deserve what they got?
• Think about the existential cycle of Heathcliff. Perhaps, his soul was cursed from the very beginning? Was he destined to make a journey filled with suffering through life for redemption? Can we speak about it in such terms at all?
• Build Heathcliff’s accurate psychological portrait and analyze his burning desire for revenge from this perspective. Was he mentally sick? Who, in your opinion, perfectly deserved the revenge, and who doesn’t?

Wuthering Heights Revenge Quotes

There were many words said about revenge in the novel by different characters. Let’s get to know them to understand the story better!

• “… the young master had learned to regard his father as an oppressor rather than a friend, and Heathcliff as a usurper of his parent’s affections and his privileges; and he grew bitter with brooding over these injuries.” Nelly Dean, Chapter 4
• “I’m trying to settle how I shall pay Hindley back. I don’t care how long I wait, if I can only do it at last. I hope he will not die before I do!” Heathcliff, Chapter 7
• “Whatever he may pretend, he wishes to provoke Edgar to desperation: he says he has married me on purpose to obtain power over him; and he sha’ n’t obtain it—I’ll die first! I just hope, I pray, that he may forget his diabolical prudence and kill me! The single pleasure I can imagine is to die, or to see him dead!” Isabella, Chapter 14
• “You, and I… have each a great debt to settle with the man out yonder! If we were neither of us cowards, we might combine to discharge it. Are you as soft as your brother? Are you willing to endure to the last, and not once attempt a repayment?” Hindley, Chapter 17

This is just a tiny part of quotes about revenge in Wuthering Heights . Look at this website to find more.

🧟 Revenge in Literature: How to Write a Frankenstein Revenge Essay

Perhaps, the story about the Frankenstein monster is the most tragic of all that we discuss in this article. One of the central themes in the novel is ultimate and outrageous revenge. However, we can feel sympathy towards the avengers. How come?

Let’s figure it out together, so you can write an excellent revenge essay!

The theme of Revenge in Frankenstein

There are two major revenge lines in the novel about the Frankenstein monster:

Revenge in Frankenstein Topic Ideas

What are the ways to expand the theme of revenge in Frankenstein? Let’s look at some of them.

• Analyze the psychological portrait of the monster. Why do we feel sympathetic despite all the murders? Do you think his revenge was fully acknowledged and justified?
• Is it ethical to consider the monster to be just a flawed and imperfect human? Study through his motifs of revenge and methods of its implementation. Elaborate on the outcome the monster eventually came up to: was he genuinely remorseful?
• Why didn’t the monster kill his creator right away to take revenge on him? How did he understand that taking away the closest and beloved people from Frankenstein would hurt him more?
• Did Frankenstein have the right to do what he did? Is it ethical to use dead body parts to satisfy your curiosity and create a monster? Why didn’t Frankenstein give in to the beast to prevent his revenge?
• Think of the reasons why Frankenstein stopped creating the female monster. Did he realize the consequences when he deprived the beast of his only hope of getting a partner? Was it a part of Frankenstein’s revenge?
• Does the young man deserve all this damage and pain the monster brought to him? Elaborate on the cyclic structure of the novel that starts with the monster’s creation and ends with Frankenstein’s death.

Frankenstein Revenge Quotes

To illustrate the characters’ motivation in your revenge essay, use these quotes from the novel! We have selected the most significant statements for you:

• “When I reflected on his crimes and malice, my hatred and revenge burst all bounds of moderation. I would have made a pilgrimage to the highest peak of the Andes, could I when there have precipitated him to their base.” Victor Frankenstein, Chapter 9
• “The nearer I approached to your habitation, the more deeply did I feel the spirit of revenge enkindled in my heart.” The monster, Chapter 16
• “Frankenstein! you belong then to my enemy–to him towards whom I have sworn eternal revenge; you shall be my first victim.” The monster, Chapter 16

Visit this website to see more quotes about revenge in Frankenstein.

📝 Revenge Essay Samples: Hamlet, Wuthering Heights, Frankenstein

Good news! The theoretical part is over, now we want you to look at some real examples of a revenge essay.

These are just excerpts from the essays, though they contain the main elements.

Hamlet Revenge Essay Example

“What would he do, had he the motive and the cue for passion that I have?” — exclaims Hamlet on seeing the actor performing on the stage. Endless reflections tear hamlet: to revenge or not to revenge? His constant postponing of vengeance has reasons. Deeply inside, subconsciously, he believes: even well-grounded revenge is poisonous and destructive. This idea is being proclaimed between the lines throughout the whole play. Evil causes evil, and this vicious circle is yet to be broken. Hamlet is a hero of another era: he needs solid and persuasive evidence to implement his revenge. The young prince wants to be sure whether the ghost is real if Claudius is an actual murderer. But even realizing the truth, he takes pains to set the mood for revenge, to pull his decisiveness together. “O, from this point forth my thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!” are his words in Act 4. Other characters in the play may seem blind or half-blind and don’t notice obvious things. Perhaps, they don’t want to catch them to keep their consciousness clear. They are more shallow and less sensitive than the prince. Hamlet is almost the only person who sees through all the intrigues, making him sarcastic and suspicious. He mourns the passing of his father, but at the same time, the burden of revenge presses upon him. He’s undoubtedly not made for seeking revenge. This destructive thought starts to corrupt his mind and soul gradually. It is this spiritual splitting of his that leads to tragic consequences and pointless deaths of many people.

Wuthering Heights Revenge Essay Example

Wuthering Heights is a novel the plot of which is wrapped around the revenge purposes of the main character. We see the same circular structure as we do in many revenge stories: come events lead to the outcome where the only aim is taking vengeance. The problem is that no matter how fair revenge may seem to an avenger, it barely brings satisfaction. On the contrary, it destroys any virtues and even the whole fates. The trigger for the whole revenge story here is Hindley, who is jealous and mean in his very nature. It is the type of antagonist that is downright vicious: he seems to lack anything human in his heart. His unfair mistreatment plants the seeds of desire for revenge in Heathcliff. The latter grows up with a solid wish to pay Hindley back for all the damage. Heathcliff cannot be blamed for that: he was merely deprived of love and decent life in his childhood. We can only feel compassion towards him being so traumatized. Everything he did after is probably more dreadful than what Hindley did to him, but could it be different? Heathcliff is blinded by the striving to take revenge. The man loses any sense of reason. He also cannot stay safe and untouched, hurting other people. He ends up feeling even more bitter than he used to. We can clearly see that revenge didn’t bring Catherine back to him, while it was what he wanted in the first place.

Revenge in Frankenstein Essay Example

‘Frankenstein’ is sure to be not only a horror story with gothic elements but also a profound ethical parable. It touches upon very distant and dark aspects of human life. In a story about Frankenstein and his monster, we can see what can happen when a human is trying to play God. All these tragic events in the novel conclude: a human must remain human. Otherwise, a wannabe god will be paid back by the whole Universe and destroyed. This is what happened to the main character of Shelly’s story. The plot somehow refers to an old biblical story about Adam, Eve, and forbidden knowledge. What was the outcome of the first people’s selfish desire to know things that only God knows? They were exhaled and cursed forever from Eden. Before that happened, all pleasures were at their disposal. Victor had everything, too: wealthy and caring parents, a beautiful bride, loyal friends. When he started craving something above, the tragedy occurred. The point is that to be a creator means to have an enormous responsibility. Victor Frankenstein wasn’t ready to take it and to deal with his creature’s ugliness or with the prospective to teach his monster how to live. The creature was collecting the idea of life by bits. Realizing his creator’s nonchalance distresses the monster to a great extent. The only thing that is left to him due to his indescribable loneliness is revenge. Ironically, Shelley’s monster possesses more humanism and sensitiveness than real people. He wants to be helpful, tries to help people; eventually, he even repents for everything he’d committed.

If you’ve read our small samples and now wonder how to write your essay, please approach us. We are ready to assist you with any kind of question.

⚔️ 35 More Topics for a Revenge Essay

Of course, we wouldn’t limit you to only three literary works covering the theme of revenge. Here are other great topic ideas you can use for your essay on revenge.

• Revenge is a dish served cold: do you agree with this statement? Is it ethical to blow a strike back when the fight is over?
• Revenge, Deceit, and Murder in “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Poe.
• A desire for revenge: what is a mix of feelings that drives a person to take vengeance on someone?
• The difference between thinking and acting: can one satisfy their thirst for revenge by only imagining it?
• Emotion Regulation: Anger.
• Describe the possible or real situations where revenge is perfectly justified and grounded if there are such.
• Is it ethical for a modern person to consider taking revenge?
• Addressing an Anger Issue with Phenomenological Method.
• Can verbal abuse be answered with physical revenge?
• Compare and contrast the depiction and development of the revenge themes in “Hamlet” and “Romeo and Juliet.”
• Explore how revenge appears in mind, its triggers, and the psychological benefits.
• “An Act of Vengeance” by Isabel Allende and “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor Comparison.
• Forgiveness and revenge: what is fairer – to take revenge or forgive? How is one to make a choice?
• Is it acceptable to seek revenge when you know for sure your enemies are dysfunctional and weak?
• “Othello” by Shakespeare: Heroes Analysis.
• Compare and contrast how the revenge theme is covered in the original text of Hamlet and the movie.
• Consider the most famous and significant revenge stories in US history.
• How People Deal With Being Threatened and Scared.
• Blood will have blood: reveal the development of the revenge themes in Shakespear’s famous play “Macbeth.”
• Mahatma Gandhi once said: ‘An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.’ But how can one reach justice if not through revenge?
• Debate on Punishment v. Rehabilitation.
• ‘Tell me, tutor, I said, is revenge a science or an art?’ asked one of the characters in Mark Lawrence’s “Prince of Thorns.” How would you answer this question?
• Crime and Its Victims: Victim Precipitation.
• “The best revenge is not to be like your enemy.” These were the words of Marcus Aurelius written in “Meditations.” Do you agree that such ‘revenge’ is the best option?
• Violent Crimes’ Impact on Victims and Society.
• How does Aeschylus’s play “Agamemnon” prove that vengeance leads to no peace but causes more violence?
• Just and Sharp Revenge: compare and contrast revenge and justice themes in “Hamlet” and “The Spanish Tragedy.”
• When Will Things Get to Normal After the Death of a Loved One?
• Critical Analysis of “The Scarlet Letter”: Character analysis and the themes of revenge.
• The morality of revenge: how to draw the line between justified vengeance and violence?
• Enlightenment in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”.
• A man takes revenge on himself: elaborate on the magnificent twist of revenge in “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
• Hamlet as the Hero of the Play
• Why is “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn more about insanity than about revenge?
• Tell about your own experience with revenge: what were the reasons for it, your feelings after?

These were the most important things we wanted you to know when writing a revenge essay. One more piece of advice for you.

Do not consider revenge as something necessarily wrong. Try to point out the reasons and intentions of a person who wants to take revenge.

Once you take such a position, you have a chance to write a perfect essay on revenge!

We wish you lots of inspiration and happy writing! 😉

30 Writing Prompts About Revenge

Do you ever get that feeling?

You know, the one where someone does you dirty and all you can think about is payback?

Yeah, revenge. It’s a juicy topic, full of anger, betrayal, and that oh-so-satisfying “evening the score” bit.

But hold on, is revenge just pure rage, or is there more to it?

We’re gonna peel back the layers and explore why people plot revenge in the first place. Maybe it’s just primal instinct, or maybe there’s some deep-seated psychology driving this whole thing.

Get ready to dive into a world of raw feelings, tough choices, and classic tales of getting even.

We’ve got some writing prompts to spark your creativity, whether you’re a wordsmith looking for inspiration or just someone curious about the twists and turns of the human mind.

These prompts will make you think, squirm, and maybe even learn a little something along the way.

Writing Prompts About Revenge

Sibling Rivalry Turned Deadly : Siblings Sarah and Jason have been competitive since childhood. Growing up, the two constantly tried to outdo one another, be it in academics, sports, or social popularity. As they matured, Sarah’s envy spiraled after Jason received a multimillion-dollar inheritance from a distant relative. In an unexpected twist, she plots an elaborate scheme to discredit and sabotage Jason’s life, pushing the boundaries of familial love.

The Jilted Lover’s Manuscript : Rebecca, a successful author, discovers her partner’s affair with her best friend. Betrayed and broken, she uses her talent to craft a bestselling novel that thinly veils the sordid details of the affair, twisting the narrative in her favor. Determined to expose them, her book becomes a cathartic journey of revenge, casting her ex and friend as the immoral villains.

A Vow Across Generations : In 1947, Eliza’s family was wronged by the prominent Whitman family, leading to their eventual ruin. Now, decades later, Eliza’s granddaughter discovers old letters detailing this betrayal. Fueled by a desire to right the past’s wrongs, she starts a strategic game to take down the now-powerful Whitman empire.

The Anonymous Blogger’s Expose : Corporate executive Thomas has built his empire through manipulation and underhanded deals. An unknown figure starts a blog detailing all of Thomas’s secrets, and with each post, the empire teeters closer to destruction. Behind the keyboard, a betrayed former employee meticulously plans each revelation, ensuring Thomas pays for his treachery.

The Stolen Masterpiece : Lina, a passionate artist, has her groundbreaking painting stolen just before her debut exhibition, and it is credited to a renowned artist instead. Heartbroken but determined, Lina infiltrates the elite art world. She crafts a plan to publicly reclaim her work, unmasking the thief and the corrupt system that enables them.

In the Wake of an Accident : After her daughter is left paralyzed from a hit-and-run, Maria discovers the culprit is a wealthy celebrity who used their influence to escape justice. Battling the disparity of power and wealth, Maria meticulously gathers evidence, vowing to bring the star down and ensure justice is served.

Betrayal in the Heart of Espionage : Secret agents Lydia and Mark were once a formidable duo, until Mark betrayed Lydia during a critical mission, resulting in her imprisonment. Years later, Lydia escapes, but instead of seeking immediate revenge, she plays a long game. She infiltrates Mark’s personal and professional life, aiming to dismantle everything he holds dear, piece by piece.

From Patient to Predator : Dr. Hannah is renowned for her groundbreaking medical treatments. However, when one of her experimental procedures goes wrong, leaving a patient, Alex, with irreversible side effects, she covers it up. Discovering the truth, Alex devises a calculated plan to expose and discredit the doctor who ruined his life, turning from a trusting patient to a vengeful adversary.

The Shadow Behind the Throne : In a contemporary kingdom, Princess Eleanor is sidelined from the throne due to a scandal orchestrated by her ambitious cousin, Victor. Exiled but not defeated, Eleanor cultivates allies from beyond the kingdom’s borders. Determined to reclaim her birthright, she masterminds a plot to unseat Victor and expose his treacheries to the world.

Whispers from the Walls : Upon moving into a historic mansion, Ava uncovers the diary of a woman betrayed by her husband and his mistress in the 1800s. The diary details the woman’s unfulfilled quest for revenge. Intrigued and empathetic, Ava takes it upon herself to right this past injustice. Using the diary as her guide, she tracks the descendants of the betrayers, aiming to ensure karma isn’t overdue.

A Symphony of Revenge : Maestro Ruben is known for his genius in music but also for stealing compositions from his students. Elara, one of his protégés, watches as her masterpiece is claimed by Ruben and wins worldwide acclaim. Embracing her genius, she composes a new “cursed” symphony, designed to ruin the Maestro when he inevitably claims it as his own.

The Secret Ingredient : Renowned chef Damien stole his most famous dishes from Clara, a lesser-known culinary talent. Heartbroken but determined, Clara opens a rival restaurant across town. With each dish, she reveals the stories of their shared past, leading to a culinary showdown that serves revenge on a silver platter.

Echoes of War : Two war veterans, Aidan and Blake, return from the battlefield with contrasting reputations. Blake, hailed as a hero, had secretly betrayed his comrades, leading to a massacre, while Aidan, the sole survivor, is mistakenly branded a deserter. Haunted by memories and the quest for truth, Aidan embarks on a journey to reveal Blake’s true colors and vindicate himself.

The Deceptive Facade of Charity : Philanthropist Morgan LeClaire is celebrated for her generosity. However, Bianca, a journalist, discovers Morgan’s funds come from exploiting vulnerable communities. Risking everything, Bianca delves deeper, aiming to expose the hypocrisy of a woman who profits from pain while posing as a savior.

Lost in the Pages : In a small town, librarian Nora finds out her colleague Beth has plagiarized a story Nora wrote as a young girl, leading to Beth’s successful writing career. Determined to rewrite her own narrative, Nora crafts a new story filled with clues and secrets, drawing Beth into a real-life mystery with revenge at its core.

The Green-Eyed Anchor : News anchor Julian, out of jealousy, spreads a fabricated scandal about his co-anchor, Isabelle, leading to her downfall. Unbeknownst to Julian, Isabelle uncovers the truth and instead of confronting him, starts leaking his personal indiscretions and secrets through anonymous tips. As the world watches, Julian’s life unravels live on air, orchestrated by the colleague he once betrayed.

The Silent Partner : In a thriving tech startup, software engineer Marla discovers that her partner, Keith, has been removing her contributions from their joint projects and labeling them as his own. Instead of leaving, Marla secretly develops an innovative software, embedding a trigger she controls. When Keith inevitably claims it, Marla holds the power to make or break the company’s future at her fingertips.

From the Depths : After a tragic boating accident caused by the negligence of a wealthy boat owner, a father, Gregory, loses his only child. The boat owner manages to escape any legal consequences due to his connections. Desperate and consumed by grief, Gregory becomes an avenger from the shadows, slowly dismantling the boat owner’s lavish lifestyle and reputation.

Shadows in the Ballroom : During a high-society gala, heiress Helena overhears a group of socialites mocking her late mother. To unmask their hypocrisy, Helena throws a series of events, manipulating circumstances to reveal their darkest secrets. As the elites play her dangerous games, the ballroom becomes a stage for revenge, where masks of deception fall one by one.

The Forgotten Apprentice : In the world of magic and illusion, magician Arthur steals a revolutionary trick from his apprentice, Lara, becoming the star of the magic community. Lara, under a new identity, starts performing a series of unexplainable illusions, gaining mysterious fame. Challenging Arthur to a magical duel, she aims to expose him and reclaim her stolen spotlight.

A Toast to the Past : Years after high school, Mira attends a reunion only to confront painful memories of bullying led by a now-successful entrepreneur, Calvin. Using her own success and connections, Mira orchestrates business deals that seem too good for Calvin to pass up. Yet, each deal is a trap, leading him closer to a professional and personal downfall crafted by a ghost from his past.

Twins Divided : Identical twins, Sophie and Clara, once shared everything until Clara betrayed Sophie in pursuit of a love interest. Clara’s life flourishes while Sophie’s shatters. Years later, using their identical appearance, Sophie begins to impersonate Clara, making choices that jeopardize Clara’s perfect life. In a twisted game of identity, Sophie seeks to reclaim what she believes was stolen from her.

Behind the Silver Screen : Rising actress Elodie gets a breakthrough role, but soon after, a series of leaked scandals ruins her reputation. Suspicious of the timely leaks, she investigates, discovering her manager, out of envy and spite, orchestrated her downfall. Determined to regain control, Elodie plots a comeback, using the media and her acting skills to turn the narrative and spotlight onto her scheming manager.

The Disgraced Scientist’s Redemption : Dr. Lyle, after unveiling a groundbreaking environmental solution, is falsely accused of fabricating his research by a rival scientist, Dr. Rhea. Blacklisted from the scientific community, Lyle goes undercover, gathering undeniable evidence of his findings. With a new discovery that can change the world, Lyle plans a public demonstration, aiming to vindicate himself and expose Rhea’s deception to the world.

The Echoing Mines : After whistleblowing on unsafe practices at a coal mine, Ethan loses his job and is shunned in his small town, where the mine is the main employer. His family’s history is deeply intertwined with the mine’s legacy. In a bid for justice, Ethan starts secretly documenting the mine’s ongoing violations, planning to expose the truth in a way the town cannot ignore.

Scents of Betrayal : In the competitive world of perfumery, Isolde has a unique ability to create mesmerizing fragrances. When her mentor, Celeste, steals her most captivating scent and gains global acclaim, Isolde is left in obscurity. Plotting a fragrant revenge, she crafts a perfume that’s irresistible but has a hidden, sinister effect, intending to offer it to Celeste for her next big launch.

Among the Vines : Julia inherits a vineyard that’s on the brink of bankruptcy due to her late father’s business partner’s mismanagement and embezzlement. Discovering his deceit, she doesn’t confront him immediately. Instead, under the guise of naivety, Julia lures him into a business venture designed to entrap him and restore her family’s legacy and honor.

Lost Voices of the Opera : Once the star of the opera, Isabella’s voice was sabotaged by a jealous understudy, resulting in a disastrous performance and the end of her career. Years later, with a masked identity, she becomes the mysterious patron of a rising star. Guiding this protégé to the pinnacle of success, Isabella orchestrates a grand performance to unmask her betrayer from the shadows.

The Masquerade of Time : In a town where age is wealth, an age-altering elixir is the most sought-after commodity. Eleanor, the elixir’s creator, is betrayed by her lover who commercializes the elixir for his gain, leaving her aging rapidly and impoverished. Armed with one last dose and knowledge of its true power, Eleanor plots a grand masquerade ball, aiming to reverse her fate and age her betrayers.

Bridges and Battlefields : In a war-torn country, two childhood friends, Leo and Adrian, find themselves on opposing sides. Adrian, now a high-ranking officer, betrays Leo, leading to the capture and torture of Leo’s comrades. Escaping captivity, Leo becomes a ghostly saboteur, targeting Adrian’s operations, turning their personal feud into a strategic game of cat and mouse amidst the chaos of war.

Founder and Chief Content Curator @ Digital Phrases

I'm a writer, words are my superpower, and storytelling is my kryptonite.

The 10 KEY Building Blocks to Writing Revenge Stories

Revenge stories are a popular sub-genre almost guaranteed to satisfy an audience. They’re typically a visceral and cathartic response to injustice and consequently something that elicits easy emotion. We love to follow a journey of change and retribution and revenge stories provide us with these essential elements.

Writing revenge – defined as the action of hurting or harming someone in return for an injury or wrongdoing suffered at their hands – can be particularly fun, dark, and, as with writing anything, challenging.

There are multiple puzzle pieces that need to slot together and aspects that need to interweave and complement one another to be a success. So, we’ve broken down ten key elements of revenge stories that can help form the basis of a compelling plot and do your writing justice.

Table of Contents

Revenge in different genres, kill bill: vol 1, anti-heroes, taken and easy empathy, 5. injustice, justifying revenge, 7. antagonists, 8. conflict, lessons learned.

Genre and target audience will impact how you approach any plot.

Revenge stories have a well-established formula, but that doesn’t mean you have to rigidly follow typical conventions. One of the great advantages of writing revenge is that you can adapt it in many different ways and use it in a majority of genres.

First, decide the direction you’re intending to take your revenge story.

Usually, revenge is a sub-section of the thriller genre. This is because revenge stories often include a crime being committed. John Wick , for instance, is a straight-up neo-noir crime thriller.

• The structure is as you would expect; it’s a largely linear narrative with a strong cause-and-effect relationship between each scene.
• For example, John’s refusal to sell his car subsequently leads to the retaliation of a theft and the killing of his puppy. These events trigger John to seek vengeance.

However, this doesn’t mean you can only write a thriller to successfully employ the theme of revenge. There doesn’t necessarily have to be a horrible crime taking place to incite vengeance. And there doesn’t always have to be a long and bloodied road leading towards a big bad villain .

Netflix’s dark comedy film, Do Revenge , is a biting social satire .

• It focuses on two female protagonists insistent on getting revenge against high-school peers who have wronged them.
• Whilst the wrong-doings to Drea and Eleanor aren’t the darkest of crimes, there is still enough substance to understand and recognize their anger.
• The comedic aspects also benefit the film. They allow the audience to enjoy being swept up in the dishonesty and deceit.

In Scream , Billy Loomis’s motive stems from him wanting revenge.

• Sidney’s mother had an affair with his father, which caused Billy’s mother to abandon him.
• Of course, there is way more to unpack from that. But the revenge-killing of Maureen incites the bloodbath.
• Furthermore, Scream 2 a lso uses themes of vengeance. Mrs Loomis’ reveal as one of the killers explains her motive of avenging the death of her son.

Notice how revenge is used differently in the films.

• It is overtly the main driving force for the plot and protagonists in John Wick and Do Revenge .
• Whereas, in the Scream films, it takes more of a back seat; used as a twist, connecting subplots and characters within the overall franchise, and explaining motives.
• Additionally, Do Revenge and Scream are very self-aware about their genre, allowing for a little more risk and teasing of tropes.

So if you have a general idea sketched out but you’re not entirely sure where you want it to go, or what genre you should place it in, this is the perfect opportunity to get creative.

You could, for instance, try writing a brief breakdown of your plot in the style of different genres. Explore your story’s potential by experimenting with the ideas that genre-bending can squeeze out.

Probably the most commonly recognized tale of revenge is Shakespeare’s Hamlet .

Revenge stories almost always begin with a disruption to the natural balance – a shocking, tragic crime or injustice that throws the protagonist ’s life into disarray. The fallout of the crime is a place you can start in revenge writing.

• Hamlet , for example, begins after his father’s murder, but still deals with the upheaval this has caused.
• If you intend to elicit a deeper reaction from the audience and further justify the need for vengeance, it may be more effective for the crime to be witnessed on screen (à la John Wick’s puppy being murdered).

Let’s look at a popular revenge film example and its plot.

Tarantino is renowned for his non-linear narratives. But the opening sequence of Kill Bill: Vol 1 follows the classic establishing of a revenge plot. It’s barely three minutes long but it immediately aligns the audience with The Bride and sets up the plot of the film.

• The first image on-screen is the quote “Revenge is a dish best served cold”. This immediately signifies what the film is going to be about.
• There’s a close-up of our protagonist, The Bride, lying on the ground in her wedding dress, bloodied, bruised and breathing heavily. We are also introduced to the villain, Bill.  
• At the end of the scene, The Bride reveals she is pregnant with Bill’s child, seconds before he shoots her.
• The plot situates The Bride, and her unborn child, as the victims. Subsequently, we follow her in a story of retribution and redemption as she seeks vengeance against those responsible for leaving her to die and the assumed death of her unborn child.

Witnessing the crime, and how it impacts the main protagonist , will certainly make it easier for the audience to understand the revenge motive. It’s important to get them to feel something, make them as outraged as the hero, and connect them emotionally wherever you can.

3. Protagonist

The protagonists in revenge stories help drive the narrative. But when you’re writing a character hell-bent on seeking revenge, it can’t be their only storyline. Don’t fall into the trap of making them completely one-dimensional in this respect.

• What kind of personality do they have? What’s important to them? What does their quest for vengeance put at risk?
• Look at your protagonist’s motivation. What is fuelling it?
• Are they a master strategist always several steps ahead? Or are they a bit of a loose cannon, more focused on getting revenge than the execution?
• Get to the root of your character’s emotions. The age-old advice of writing what you know still applies. Whilst you might have fantasized about getting revenge on somebody, you (most likely) haven’t actually done it. Still, you can see what would lead to a person committing an act of revenge; anger, grief, heartbreak, humiliation.
• Think about a time you’ve felt intensely about something. Look inward and tap into the strength of those emotions. They will guide you.

Your main character doesn’t have to be a perfect hero. In revenge stories, they’re going to get their hands dirty. So explore the varying degrees of morality within this.

Your characters should and will have flaws. They’ll make choices that aren’t necessarily good and honourable; ones which might force them to operate in a morally grey area.

Anti-heroes are particularly interesting characters. What’s so charming about Villanelle in Killing Eve and Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders that makes audiences flock toward them?

• Which of their (or any anti-hero’s) qualities stick out to you?
• What are their good parts? What are their flaws? How do these balance out?
• Where do they draw the line? What can this tell you about which boundaries to push?

Certainly lean into the darker aspects of your characters. But still demonstrate their human side and seek to flesh out their world, what drives them and what circumstances influence them. As long as people can understand your character’s choices or at least where they might be coming from, they will continue rooting for them.

Ideally, the revenge should be multi-faceted and complex, rather than just a straight-up tit-for-tat exchange. Explore your protagonist ‘s deepest motivations, backstory and nuance and you will find a revenge story that feels altogether more original and interesting.

The victims in revenge stories typically elicit sympathy from the audience.

• It usually means that, if they are not the protagonist themselves, they are close to the character in some way. It could be a family member, friend or romantic partner.
• The important thing is that there’s a personal stake, something that forces the main character to act. There should be an emotional and meaningful tie-in, a connection that justifies the journey of vengeance.

In John Wick , for example, it’s the murder of his puppy Daisy that sparks his revenge journey.

• The audience understands why this makes him snap – she’s the final gift he received from his late wife. So this weaves in not just one, but two grief plots.
• In addition, the film establishes Daisy as, essentially, the last thing he has left to live for.
• This situates him as a man with nothing to lose. The audience aligns with John and can fathom why he takes the actions he does.

Audiences want to feel that the victim was badly wronged and deserves to be avenged. This usually means the victim is a largely innocent person. Perhaps it’s even a misunderstanding, or an accident – a wrong place, wrong time scenario – that has led them to need vengeance.

Taken is a well-known example of this. In the first film, the motivation for the arc of Liam Neeson’s character, Bryan, rests on the abduction of his daughter Kim.

• Her kidnapping scene is terrifying because it plays into one of every parent’s worst fears.
• The audience is almost immediately on side. We don’t care what he does to get her back, we root for Bryan and Kim the entire time.

Not to mention, we get that epic line.

“I will hunt you, I will find you, and I will kill you.”

It’s also worth noting that your victim doesn’t always have to be completely clean. Don’t be afraid to add complexity and nuance into the mix. This will typically lead to more interesting and original characters after all.

It’s important to keep challenging how we automatically label and determine people’s worth based on stereotypes. Your victim can be authentically human and still be undeserving of whatever horrible fate is handed to them. 

Injustice is the inciting incident in revenge stories. It sets off the chain of events.

• If you want to begin with the fallout of the crime, but are eager to establish a deeper connection between your main character and victim, you could implement this through a non-linear narrative (for example, using flashbacks).
• People don’t like to see injustice go unpunished. So use it to align the audience with your main character. Their feelings will be heightened when something directly impacts the protagonist.
• If the victim is the protagonist, spend time on the effect of the incident. Daisy the puppy may be the catalyst that sparks John Wick into action, but he is also a victim himself of robbery and a man marred by grief.
• Is the main character forced to take justice into their own hands? If they don’t do something, will the villain strike again?

Since revenge tends to go outside the limits of the law, if your character resorts to vigilante status, show they have tried at least to go through traditional means, but are left with no choice but to go elsewhere.

Injustice is a powerful motivator for any audience to understand. However, the more you’ve justified your protagonist ‘s desire and means for revenge as the only solution to their problem, the more the audience will be on board and the more likely they’ll be to enjoy the journey.

Motive is one of the most important ingredients in writing revenge stories. The reason for revenge must be well thought out.

• Motive will drive your protagonist. So ensure that it makes sense and fits your character.
• It can determine how the audience will interact with the storyline. A strong motive will make it easier for them to follow along with the suspension of disbelief.
• If the main character’s motivation does not carry much weight, it will be harder to connect and root for them.
• Don’t neglect the antagonist either – what’s their reasoning behind what they did?

Your audience needs a motive to know that the protagonist ‘s quest for revenge is justified. It perhaps isn’t quite as important if you have a morally bad character. However, we still need to recognize why they feel a certain way towards something – even if we don’t agree with the actions being taken.

Contrastingly, if you’re writing the hero archetype , their vengeance shouldn’t go overboard. If their behaviour and punishment make them worse than the antagonist , you might start to lose audience support. By all means, that scenario could potentially work with an anti-hero, or perhaps if the intended journey is the hero losing themselves and becoming like the villain .

Furthermore, the quest for revenge typically needs to be about more than just the action at hand. If revenge is the tip of the iceberg, what lies beneath?

Motive allows Carrie White to remain the victim in Carrie , despite her murder spree.

• The antagonists are still her abusive mother and school bullies. The novel and film demonstrate how these people destroyed her life in emotional and physical ways.
• Therefore, her motive builds tension in the narrative. It establishes that she wasn’t getting revenge for something small or petty; it was years of unjustified torment until she eventually snapped.

If you’re going for a more unsettling approach and purposely want to remain vague, you could omit motive to heighten suspense. Keep the audience partially in the dark for a while and have them guess the reasons for revenge and why it has impacted the protagonist so much. Do be wary though that it can be much harder to connect with these characters. And often vagueness can act as a mask for a weak motivation.

An interesting and arguably successful example of this technique in a revenge and redemption film is Bullet Train .

• We aren’t offered a lot of information. The protagonist is a former assassin assigned to retrieve a case on a train.
• We’re also introduced to a man seeking revenge for his son being pushed off a building, and several other mysterious characters/antagonists, many of whom are pulling strings behind the scenes in their own revenge plots.
• As the movie unfolds, we realize how each individual story interweaves. True motives and the ultimate revenge plot eventually take shape.

In this instance, withholding motives to develop the bigger picture works and benefits the story. This is partly because the multitude of different arcs makes the motive of revenge bigger than the sum of its parts.

A fundamental rule of any dramatic writing is having conflict. Your protagonist will need an opposition to assign blame on and want to punish. When writing revenge stories, the antagonist is usually the person who orchestrated or committed the original act.

So, who are they and what’s their motive?

• Are they inherently evil? Make sure you don’t lean too hard into a caricature moustache-twirling villain.
• Can you explore a multi-layered, complex antagonist? Not one reduced to being one-dimensional and perhaps even one not entirely deserving of revenge.
• You could take it another step further – maybe they weren’t unjustified in their actions, for example?

Antagonists don’t have to be the villain of the story by default – the same way protagonists aren’t always the automatic hero. The initial desire for revenge might be easily justified, only for the plot to reveal more complexity as it goes on.

As a whole, the antagonist ‘s credibility is key in making the revenge feel engaging in the first place. If they seem two-dimensional then it’s likely the revenge itself will seem two-dimensional. In this way, the antagonist ‘s depth is just as important as the protagonist ‘s. What are the stakes for the revenge and what is the motivation? The strength of the antagonist ‘s characterisation will provide convincing answers to these questions.

Revenge is not an easy task to achieve. Therefore, there must be a persuasive level of obstacles and conflict for the protagonist to achieve their revenge:

• What are the obstacles on this journey? The narrative needs these to raise the stakes, build tension and propel the story further.
• Let the protagonist encounter problems. Show them navigating these issues. Demonstrate how pushbacks can transform your character. Does the slippery villain keep narrowly escaping? Do the parameters or stakes of the revenge constantly change? Allow for frustrating failures that will help them grow.
• Again, don’t neglect your antagonist; obstacles should impede their progress too.
• If you’re struggling with rounding a character, forcing them to solve problems will help you discover more about how far you can push them.

Moreover, think of other ways you can add conflict to the story outside the protagonist and antagonist .

• Is there a third party who tries to stop the hero?
• This could be anyone who doesn’t believe in the protagonist’s methods of justice. This will heighten the stakes – especially if it’s law enforcement going after them.

Keep delaying the gratification of the protagonist achieving their goal and build the tension for its payoff. That way, when the resolution finally comes, it will be far more satisfying. But more importantly, it will make the journey of revenge all the more believable.

Nothing worthwhile is ever easy and so the revenge should prove illusive, difficult and multi-faceted. Don’t think of the journey as a straight line but a twisting graph, forever riding peaks and troughs until the eventual pay-off, which, in and of itself, might not be as straightforward as initially believed.

This is the moment everyone is waiting for. The part where the confrontation happens and when the hero and villain go head to head.

• This is when binary oppositions collide and are put to the test. Good vs Evil. Hero vs Villain. Life vs Death.
• Twists are typically revealed here. For instance, if your hero has mistaken the villain for somebody else, the true villain of the story will make themselves known.
• Revelations will help up the drama and expand the story. This is the perfect time for a betrayal moment, for instance. Has somebody your protagonist is working with actually been on the other side the whole time?

Crucially, the climax of revenge stories will deal with the two possible outcomes; the protagonist ‘s moment of triumph, where they complete their goal and get justice, or their failure. This will resolve the main conflict of the story. What was the quest for revenge really about? How did it serve as a Trojan horse for the true desire.

In The Revenant , for example, the main character Hugh Glass succeeds in his quest to avenge his son’s death. But despite the long and unrelenting journey, he does not deliver the final blow himself. The last line antagonist Fitzgerald delivers is harrowing and encapsulates the whole feel of the film.

“Well, you enjoy it Glass because there ain’t anything that’ll bring your boy back.”

10. Resolution

Revenge stories don’t always have to tie up neatly. This could mean the protagonist not succeeding, or simply demonstrating that revenge has a harsh price – whether that’s in death or showing that the events will torment your character for the rest of their life.

If the protagonist doesn’t succeed, it could be because they decided not to go through with the act. This comes with a message about revenge not always being the best way forwards. Be careful with this. It can be frustrating to follow a character through such an intense journey only for them to have a sudden change of heart. So this change of heart, in fact, can’t be sudden – it has to be seeded throughout the plot.

If the protagonist fails, this tends to culminate in their defeat; usually, the villain escapes or the protagonist dies. Equally, this can be frustrating. But sometimes stories aren’t meant to have a happy ending.

• If the main character succeeds in their quest, deal with the concoction of emotions victory unearths. It’ll be complicated and bittersweet.
• Your protagonist might have gone down an exhausting and bloodied road to achieve their goal.
• After succeeding, they could have the dreaded realization sink in that revenge doesn’t solve everything and won’t bring back what they lost along the way – just like Fitzgerald suggests to Glass in The Revenant .

Crucially, this still fulfils an important purpose for a screenplay – for the protagonist to learn a lesson. Revenge may be a cipher, a way of the protagonist searching for something that revenge seems like the answer for but isn’t. This demonstrates how revenge can be a fantastic motivator for a plot in the context of a thriller. It allows for a relatively simple arc, jam-packed with exciting action and a clear end goal.

But true satisfaction from a revenge story lies in what the protagonist gains from the revenge other than the completion of the act itself. What have they learnt and what has the story truly been about? This is a vital way to give your revenge story a distinct meaning and purpose, helping it stand out from the crowd.

– What did you think of this article? Share It , Like It , give it a rating, and let us know your thoughts in the comments box further down…

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This article was written by Molly Hutchings and edited by IS Staff.

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Revenge Essay | Essay on Taking Revenge on Others, Introduction, Definition and Importance of Revenge

January 12, 2022 by Prasanna

Revenge Essay: The concept of revenge, its origin, manifestation, and negative impact on people and nations. Revenge is the hostile outcome of human emotion that drives someone to hurt or do harm to others in retaliation for a wrong act done to him. The urge for revenge mainly originates from anger, hatred, envy, and grief. People seek revenge when they feel they have been attacked and suffered loss or injury in an unjustified manner by someone individually or collectively. As a result, they feel powerless, humiliated, or ashamed.

Revenge is an extremely unhealthy expression of emotions that takes a psychological and physical toll on the sufferer. It may evoke initial pleasure and satisfaction from the sufferings of the offender, but in the long run, those who take revenge end up feeling even worse and distressed. Psychological studies have found that instead of diminishing hostility, revenge prolongs the bitterness of the original offense. Revenge refers to the action that brings justice for wrongdoing done to someone. But it costs suffering or pain to the person affected by revenge.

You can also find more  Essay Writing articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Long Essay on Revenge 700 Words in English

Historical and Social Context

Revenge has been a part of our history and mythology from ancient times. In a conflict to gain power and positions, concerned parties indulged in acts of revenge. Revenge can lead people to do horrible things, whether it is a dispute between family and friends or a large scale of terrorism. Terrorism is an act of revenge between two parties involving hilarious acts that usually kill a lot of innocent people. Revenge is something that can be planned and executed in different ways. The feelings of hatred and ego force people to do something wrong to get satisfaction for an injury or insult received. In the past, revenge might have been considered justified to settle scores with enemies. But, the present human society, with its highly developed intelligence and capabilities, does not encourage such crude practices.

Psychology behind revenge

The motive behind taking revenge is to make the enemy repent for his actions by putting him in distress and suffering. Someone takes revenge to do the maximum possible damage to his enemy, while he is struggling with his loss. People can be provoked to take revenge on others under various circumstances. Although many aspects of revenge support the concept of justice, revenge has a more damaging focus rather than a restorative one. When someone has been treated wrongly, the thought of getting revenge seems so appealing to him, but in reality, it can cause too much damage. Some people take hostile steps being instigated by religious or political sentiments. They don’t care what the consequences can be as long as they get the satisfaction of harming those who they consider enemies. They get psychological relief or pleasure by seeing the suffering of others.

Damage to humanity

People consider they have the right to take revenge as a form of private justice for wrongs done to them. Revenge is not a worthy solution because it is a form of punishing someone rather than giving justice or making something equal. To bring equality, you only end up losing lives, property, and relationships. Nothing is accomplished by revenge, rather it allows the chain of pain and suffering that continue to never end.

Taking revenge on someone also causes them to retaliate and take revenge on you. This process keeps going as a cycle until it becomes a devastating outcome involving families, societies, or even nations. Great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi pointed out that nothing can be gained from revenge and he stated that “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”. This quote represents the opinion that when everyone is involved in seeking revenge, there will be an end to humanity, and the survival of society will be at stake.

Conclusion on Revenge Essay

Revenge is a part of human nature that all people can relate to. So writers often use it in literature as a central theme. Revenge can easily be an attractive theme for a novel or movie because it reflects on the dark side of human character. People’s opinions on revenge may vary, some may think it is justified and some don’t. People, who think of taking revenge, are likely to feel guilty and regretful afterward. One might feel hurt or betrayed for time being but eventually, he may be able to put those feelings behind and avoid the possibility of further suffering. By taking revenge, you also instigate the person taking revenge on your wrongdoing and the cycle continues. Getting caught in a loop will only cause you further pain and agony. One can find a much better way of channeling the energy to move forward in a positive direction. Try to ignore the people who bring you down in the past, as they are not worth your time and energy.

Short Essay on Revenge

Revenge is the act of causing damage to another person or community by some individual or group because they believe they are being hurt unjustly by the other. The mentality is doing the same wrong things that have been done upon you. The feelings that ignite the desire for revenge are grief, humiliation, anger, and hatred. Some people take things too personally that hurt their ego so they want to harm the person or community who contradicts them. This is mostly based on religious and political sentiments while claiming superiority in the game of power and position. But people often forget that things can be turned the other way round and all have to pay the price for doing harm and causing pain to others.

Revenge is not a justice

Revenge is an idea we are acquainted with through history, mythology, and other literary works. It is also a common theme for novels and movies to make them more interesting to readers and audiences. In many cases, the act of revenge is glorified or justified by showing the superiority of an individual or community over others. It portrays revenge as a way of giving justice in someone’s terms, using power and authority. It is not primarily about justice but only affirming someone’s right to retaliate against some wrong done to them, which is not right. The idea of revenge when spread among a large part of a community, it leads to terrorist acts causing harm to a huge number of people with loss of innocent lives.

An act of revenge may give an initial psychological relief by temporarily suppressing the grief and anger but sows the seed of bitter feelings in the society which stays much longer. The best way to get back on someone who hurt you is to improve yourself, develop capabilities and achieve something worthy. Instead of being vindictive or aggressive, you may consider the other person as an unimportant part of his life journey who can be ignored. This is also a form of revenge causing no harm to anyone but developing a sense of forgiveness and positivity.

FAQ’s on Revenge Essay

Question 1. What is revenge?

Answer: Revenge is the action of hurting or harming someone in retaliation to a grievance or suffering caused by them.

Question 2. What is an example of revenge by terrorism?

Answer: The destruction of the twin towers in the USA was a terrorist act of revenge done by a group.

Question 3. Does revenge generate any positive outcome?

Answer: Revenge doesn’t lead to any positive solution but rather traps people in the loop of bitter feelings that result in more retaliation and suffering.

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Revenge - Essay Examples And Topic Ideas For Free

Revenge entails retaliating against someone in response to perceived wrongs or injustices. Essays on revenge might explore its psychological underpinnings, moral implications, or its representation in literature, film, and history. Discussions could delve into famous revenge stories, the societal or personal consequences of seeking revenge, or the ethical debates surrounding retribution and justice. Analyzing different cultural or historical perspectives on revenge can provide a multifaceted exploration of human emotions, social norms, and justice systems. A substantial compilation of free essay instances related to Revenge you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Revenge is the Overarching Theme of the Play Hamlet

Revenge is a strange idea. It has been around since the dawn of time. An Eye for an eye, right? If someone hits you, you hit them back harder. In the play, Hamlet, William Shakespeare, Revenge is the overarching theme of the play. It shows what revenge can do to a person. Hamlet views revenge as a good deed: something that he must complete to avenge his dad. Revenge is binary, meaning it isn't only the act of revenge, there […]

Revenge and Foreshadowing in the Cask of Amontillado

"Edgar Allan Poe is a famous writer known for his thrilling short stories. One of his shorts, “The Cask of Amontillado” is most known for its intense and prevalent themes, including irony and foreshadowing. Foreshadowing in an element in the story is used to hint an event that will occur further along in the story. There are many types of Irony. One of these is dramatic irony, which refers to when a character thinks something is true, yet the audience […]

Edgar Allan Poe’s the Cask of Amontillado Essay

"Edgar Allan Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado expresses enigmatic themes of desire and human complexity. The protagonist desires revenge on an acquaintance through premeditated murder. Although conversely, that is only on the surface. Montresor's needs and desires are that of something beyond vengeance. It is known that our narrator and protagonist Montresor, seeks vengeance against Fortunato for the insults and ""the thousand injuries"" he felt had been done to him. Although, Montresor never clarifies how Fortunato degrades him nor backs […]

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Frankenstein Revenge

In her novel ?Frankenstein?, Mary Shelley shows that both Frankenstein and his creature are obsessed with revenge through their strong emotional language and obsessive actions, yet neither of them wins and gets revenge in the end. After Victor Frankenstein is threatened by the creature after destroying his nearly complete bride, Frankenstein states that he “?burned with rage to pursue the murderer of my peace and precipitate him into the ocean. I walked up and down my room hastily and perturbed, […]

Lies, Revenge and Betrayal in Othello

Lies are extremely common in our society today, with millions of people masking their true intentions. In Shakespeare's play titled Othello, one of the characters, Iago, is no different and in fact the same as those deceptive individuals in society. Behind his act as a trustworthy friend, Iago is a manipulative and deceptive character creating disorder and causing many mishaps to occur. Iago uses many acts of manipulation to undermine every single character's weaknesses to get exactly what he wants, […]

William Shakespeare Titus Andronicus Vs. Alice Walker the Color Purple

"I will be contrasting William Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus and Alice Walker's The Color Purple. I chose to contrast these works because they are completely different; they stem from different time periods, feature characters of different genders and races, and portray trauma and religion in uniquely different ways. I was especially interested in observing how their characters handle trauma, how they cope with it, and examining the changes in the Christian community during these different historical periods. Shakespeare wrote Titus Andronicus […]

Examples of Revenge in the Scarlet Letter

Often times we hear "What's good for the goose is what's good for gander," in other words, if one person committed a crime they should both be punished the same. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, he explores the sin of Hester Prynne and Author Dimmesdale. He reveals these two characters to show that staying hidden and suffering in silence is worse than being publicly humiliated. Although Hester has committed a serious crime (adultery), she wears her scarlet letter […]

Revenge and Justice in Wuthering Heights

"There is a blurred line between revenge and justice. Is revenge, justice? Is revenge, justified? The difference, may be nothing but a shuffling of the same words to make oneself feel morally sound. If we can agree on the idea that revenge is a feeling or act of retribution, and also that justice is no more than a ‘just’ act of retaliation, then we can begin to question the fine structure of moral values and how that affects the definition […]

With Love, Violence and Vengeance

Through the twisted minds of human nature, love is shown through acts of violence and vengeance committed by mankind. William Shakespeare's, Othello and Homer’s The Odyssey violence and vengeance are portrayed through jealousy, prejudice, justice, and honor. Their roles are woven throughout these books to portray the idea that love is a violent concept. Violence and vengeance can be found in several ways. It can be expressed physically, verbally, and mentally. Othello shows how envy and jealousy can overpower and […]

Revenge: a Tale of Guilt and Consequence

Dark Shadows of Revenge Every day it appears, I see a dark shadow tailing me wherever I go. Looking to revenge and demolish me. There is this dimness gradually crawling to drag me down to hell, taking every one of my breaths and voiceless shouts. I have comes to find that revenge is a short fulfilling inclination. How could I feel remorse? People often do things they are not pleased with, yet I have accomplished something unspeakable, and I have […]

Internal Conflict in Hamlet: the Inner Struggle of Revenge

Hamlet: A Masterpiece of Revenge Hamlet is one of William Shakespeare's most famous plays and is often regarded as one of the best works in the English language. The concept of revenge is one of the play's primary themes. William Shakespeare wrote the play Hamlet, which is about revenge. The main character, Hamlet, desires revenge for his father's death, but as the play progresses, he finds that revenge isn't as simple as it appears. The drama shows how revenge may […]

The Enigmatic Narration and Deceptive Layers of ‘The Cask of Amontillado’

“The Cask of Amontillado”, a short fiction story by Edgar Allan Poe, this particular story has a distinctive way of narrating without stating the obvious. Throughout the story readers are left to figure out what the author’s brilliant strategies in narrating the story and how the readers look at the characters are presented in the story. The Cask of Amontillado is a simple story of vengeance from the outside. However, the story takes an ironic way of expressing what’s the […]

The Play Hamlet: Revenge and Ophelia’s Madness

In the play, Shakespeare uses revenge as a main theme. To accomplish this theme, he had all three men seeking revenge at one time. Revenge is used in a way for all three men to express their feelings through anger and sadness. Anger can act in ways of corruption of plans, they may be changed or come out of hands when setting your mind in a negative mental state. Each son had a different way of seeking revenge. Their way […]

The Justification of Revenge and Unwillingness of Hamlet to Avenge his Father’s Death

Hamlet is a tragedy authored by William Shakespeare. The story tells of Hamlet, who is informed by the spirit of his father, that he has been murdered by Hamlet's uncle Claudius and his minions. Hamlet devises a plan to avenge his father against those who murdered him. His convoluted plot involves a theater play that is intended to prove and verify his uncle's guilt. He sets up the play to re-enact his father's murder with the actor resembling his father. […]

The Setting of “Wuthering Heights”: a Catalyst for Good and Evil Interactions

Introduction: The Yorkshire Setting Wuthering Heights, Emily Bonte's 1847 gothic novel, depicts the complex events induced by Heathcliff, a conceited man who loses his love, Catherine Earnshaw, and devotes the rest of his days to exacting revenge on her family. The novel setting is Yorkshire, a desolate region in remote Northern England. Wuthering Heights, a rough mansion, is a metaphor for the residents' irrational emotions and unkind actions. The dark environs of the mansion served as a focal point for […]

Greed in “The Pardoner’s Tale”: the Destructive Force of Wealth

As defined by Google, greed is an intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food. Greed is one of the most toxic and divisive characteristics in history. In the past, greed has led to the downfall of entire nations and can influence people to turn on even their loved ones.  The Pardoner's Tale Theme: The Lure of Greed In "The Pardoner's Tale," three friends are ultimately driven to betray each other by an intense lust for wealth […]

Nemo me Impune Lacessit’: the Drive for Justice in “The Cask of Amontillado”

Montresor's Quest for Justice: The Insult and Revenge Edgar Allan Poe created a theme surrounding many types of justice in "The Cask of Amontillado." I concluded that the theme would be justice by how Montresor sought revenge, in how justice was served, and that justice is finally served in Montresor's eyes. First, Montrsor is determined to get revenge on Fortunato for his wrongdoings. Poe States, "A thousand injuries of Fortunato I had Borne as I best could, but when he […]

Echoes of Retribution: Understanding the Depths of Revenge

In the labyrinth of human emotions, revenge stands as an enigmatic force, its tendrils reaching into the depths of our psyche, stirring primal instincts and igniting fiery passions. Like a shadow lurking in the corners of our consciousness, it whispers tales of retribution and redemption, weaving a narrative fraught with complexity and contradiction. To unravel the essence of revenge is to embark on a journey through the intricacies of human nature, where the lines between justice and vengeance blur, and […]

Revenge: a Dish Best Served Cold

The adage "Revenge is a dish best served cold" conveys the notion that vengeance is most satisfying when it's delayed, calculated, and unexpected, rather than executed in the heat of anger. This concept, deeply embedded in cultural narratives, literature, and cinematic stories, often portrays such revenge as the epitome of justice. But this view simplifies the complex psychological and ethical dimensions that revenge entails. At its essence, the idea of cold revenge speaks to a fundamental human craving for justice […]

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1. Vengeance

“If I don’t seek vengeance, no one will.”

2. Retribution

“Retribution won’t bring them back!”

“I know. I don’t care.”

“You will. You’ll regret this.”

“I hope not.”

3. Retaliation 

Retaliation is the fastest spiral to doom and regret.

4. Reprisal

Five hundred thousand people died in the consequent reprisal.

5. Payback 

“You won’t get away with this. You’re going to get your payback one day.”

“No, I won’t.”

“How can you be so sure.”

“Because tomorrow I’m taking the first commercial ship to the moon and I ain’t never coming back to this wretched rock.”

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American Revenge Narratives

A Collection of Critical Essays

• © 2018
• Kyle Wiggins 0

College of General Studies, Boston University, Boston, USA

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• Offers the first dedicated, multi-media critical study of contemporary American revenge narratives
• Utilizes a range of analytic methodologies ranging from Marxist to historical materialist, third-wave feminist critique to critical race theory
• Argues that the revenge genre can be read as a national catalog of socio-political debts

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About this book

American Revenge Narratives critically examines the nation’s vengeful storytelling tradition. With essays on late twentieth and twenty-first century fiction, film, and television, it maps the coordinates of the revenge genre’s contemporary reinvention across American culture. By surveying American revenge narratives, this book measures how contemporary payback plots appraise the nation’s political, social, and economic inequities.

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• Revenge Genre
• Revenge Fiction
• Revenge Film
• Revenge Television
• American Revenge
• vengeful desire
• political reckoning
• socio-economic reckoning
• payback stories

Table of contents (12 chapters)

Front matter, introduction.

Kyle Wiggins

Revenge on the Page

Wakening “the eyes of dreamers”: revenge in carson mccullers’s the ballad of the sad café.

• Lisa Hoffman-Reyes

Toni Morrison’s Beloved : A Tragedy of Revenge and Reparation

• Maureen E. Ruprecht Fadem

Masculinity in Don DeLillo’s White Noise : Mapping the Self, Killing the Other

• Michael James Rizza

From Revenge to Restorative Justice in Louise Erdrich’s The Plague of Doves , The Round House , and LaRose

• Seema Kurup

The Great (White) Wail: Percival Everett’s The Water Cure and Thomas Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia

• Beth A. McCoy

The Modern American Revenge Story

Revenge on the screen, “what if nature were trying to get back at us”: animals as agents of nature’s revenge in horror cinema.

• Michael Fuchs

A Cinema of Vengeance: Vietnam Veterans, Traumatic Recovery, and Historical Revisionism in 1980s Hollywood

• Marc Diefenderfer

Vengeance Is Mine: Gender and Vigilante Justice in Mainstream Cinema

“revenge, at first though sweet, / bitter ere long back on itself recoils”: patriarchy and revenge in unforgiven and true grit, tearing down the eiffel tower: post-9/11 fears and fantasies in taken.

• Terence McSweeney

Back Matter

“American Revenge Narratives offers a timely intervention into the history and scholarship of violent payback. Investigating diverse literary and cinematic genres, its contributors not only disclose the complex consequences of contemporary revenge fiction, but also tarry with its ambiguous mix of justice and vigilantism. Essential reading for understanding the aesthetics, politics, and ethics of American retribution fantasies.” (Amy Rust, Associate Professor & Graduate Coordinator, Department of Humanities & Cultural Studies, University of South Florida, USA)

Editors and Affiliations

About the editor.

Kyle Wiggins is Lecturer of Rhetoric at Boston University, USA, where he teaches courses on writing, argumentation, and research methods. His work has appeared in Postmodern Culture , Great Plains Quarterly , Studies in the Novel , and other publications.

Bibliographic Information

Book Title : American Revenge Narratives

Book Subtitle : A Collection of Critical Essays

Editors : Kyle Wiggins

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93746-5

Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan Cham

eBook Packages : Literature, Cultural and Media Studies , Literature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)

Copyright Information : The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018

Hardcover ISBN : 978-3-319-93745-8 Published: 02 August 2018

Softcover ISBN : 978-3-030-06714-4 Published: 26 December 2018

eBook ISBN : 978-3-319-93746-5 Published: 21 July 2018

Edition Number : 1

Number of Pages : XV, 288

Number of Illustrations : 4 illustrations in colour

Topics : American Culture , Popular Culture , American Cinema and TV , North American Literature , Media and Communication

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Revenge Essays (Examples)

Promises Of Democracy Capitalism In Ukraine

Risen, J. (2019). I Wrote About the Bidens and Ukraine Years Ago. Retrieved from   https://theintercept.com/2019/09/25/i-wrote-about-the-bidens-and-ukraine-years-ago-then-the-right-wing-spin-machine-turned-the-story-upside-down/

General Strain Theory Bullying Childhood Abuse

Criminal profiling of serial killers.

Sarteschi, C. M. (2016). Serial Murder. In Mass and Serial Murder in America (pp. 45-67). Springer, Cham.

Black Lives Matter And MLK

Counterterrorism strategy for the next u s presidential administration, nelson mandela, irregular warfare and united states, the battleship potemkin, shareholder vs stakeholder theory.

Putka, G. (2019). Insiders are selling. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/company-insiders-are-selling-stock-during-buyback-programs-and-making-additional-profits-when-stock-prices-jump-and-its-legal/2019/11/06/fc592f58-e493-11e9-a331-2df12d56a80b_story.html

Category Topics

• Intelligence
• Extrinsic Motivation
• Background Check
• Personal Goals
• Memory Loss
• Decision Making

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7 Short Stories About Revenge for Secondary Students

Dorothy Hodges

Insults. Betrayal. Infidelity. What do we do when someone wrongs us? Wait for karma? Seek revenge?

Here are seven short stories about revenge from our digital literacy program which engage students with plot twists and characters they are likely to never forget. These texts also provide ample opportunities to practice key reading comprehension skills and analyze the author's craft, from foreshadowing to plot and character development.

Whether you’re new to CommonLit’s free digital literacy program or a longtime user of CommonLit’s online library, you’re sure to find a great short story to add to your ELA instruction. These rigorous texts will not only engage your students in deep analysis but also open thoughtful classroom discussions around revenge.

“ Master Jacob ” by Howard Pyle (6th Grade)

When members of his community try to fool Master Jacob so they can take his pig, Master Jacob turns the table on them with a series of tricks. As the tricks escalate, so do the consequences. Students will love the build of this story, as Master Jacob’s plan of revenge increases in its consequence.

After reading the short story, have students debate Discussion Question 5, “In this case, is his revenge justified? Why or why not? In which cases, if any, is revenge ever justified?”

“ One of These Days ” by Gabriel Garcia Márquez (8th Grade)

When a power-abusing mayor enters a dentist’s office to have his tooth pulled, the dentist views it as an opportunity to punish the mayor for how he has treated the town. Your students will wince (and maybe groan!) at the stark description of the encounter, as the dentist inflicts revenge by removing the mayor’s tooth without anesthesia.

Assessment Question 5 asks students to answer, “How do Aurlio Esovar’s actions contribute to the development of the story’s theme?” Guide student annotations throughout the text, keeping track of Escovar’s actions, to prepare students to answer this question with multiple pieces of evidence.

“ Ruthless ” by William DeMille (8th Grade)

To protect his precious bourbon from whoever stole it last year, Judson places two rat poison pellets in the bottle. His wife, Marcia, is not happy about this, but Judson is adamant that the unknown thief should be punished. When Marcia steps out of the house a few moments later, Judson’s fate takes a turn. He slips on an acorn, bumps his head, and awakes to find Alec, their neighbor, offering him a sip of the poisoned bourbon to revive himself.

Encourage students to check out the related media video The Psychology of Revenge . It’s a great resource to build background knowledge or extend their thinking further and support comprehension. After reading the text and watching the video, ask students to consider the following questions, “How are people negatively impacted by seeking revenge? How is this idea reflected in ‘Ruthless’? How do you think Judson could have shifted his focus from revenge to success?”

“ Lamb to the Slaughter ” by Roald Dahl (8th Grade)

When Patrick tells his wife, Mary, that he is leaving her, she seems to respond with her usual evening routine: going down to the basement to retrieve a leg of lamb to cook for dinner. Suddenly, she knocks Patrick on the head with the leg of lamb, killing him almost instantly in an act of cold revenge. Now she must try to cover up what she’s done. Will she get away with it?

Mary’s scheme to hide her crime is sure to keep students on the edge of their seats! Before reading the text, use the pre-reading activity available under the Related Media tab to build schema and hook students about whether or not individuals are always responsible for their actions.

“ The Cone ” by H.G. Wells (10th Grade)

The text is sure to engage your high schoolers! The story begins with a man and woman, quietly in love, having a discussion about another man. When an intruder enters the home, readers quickly learn that the “intruder” is  the woman’s husband and the man inside the home is her lover. From this dramatic moment, tension continues to build as the husband kindly takes his wife’s lover on a tour of the iron works, getting closer and closer to the dangerous molten material. Students will be left breathless in the final moments of action and the ambiguous ending.

After reading this passage, ask students Discussion Question 3, “In the context of this story, was revenge justified? Is revenge ever justified? When? Cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer.”

“ The Cask of Amontillado ” by Edgar Allen Poe (11th Grade)

This classic Poe text begins with the main character, Montresor, explaining why he must seek revenge: his friend, Fortunato, insulted him. When Montresor encounters Fortunato at a party, he seizes his opportunity, taking Fortunato down into a cellar under the guise of tasting exquisite wine. When they reach the bottom, however, Montresor shackles Fortunato to the walls and builds an additional wall around him, trapping him there forever.

Afterwards, have students read the paired text “The Poison Tree” by William Blake, a poem about revenge. Ask students to consider, “Why do both speakers seek revenge? How have they handled their hatred for their enemies?”

“ Sweat ” by Zora Neale Hurston (12th Grade)

This story, set in early 1900’s Florida, chronicles the final interactions between husband and wife, Delia and Sykes. The final straw for Delia is when Sykes brings home a rattlesnake - Delia’s greatest fear - hiding it in a laundry bin for her to find. When faced with the rattlesnake, Delia escapes; however, when Sykes returns home, the snake is still loose. In a moment that could be considered karma, the snake bites Skyes. The story ends with Skyes calling for Delia’s help but receiving no response.

After reading, ask students Discussion Question 1, “Would you describe Delia’s actions at the end of the story as revenge? Why or why not? Do you think Delia should have forgiven Skyes in the end?”

Want more tense short stories to engage your students? Check out our text sets on Revenge & Betrayal or come to one of our webinars!

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