revenge influence in literature
An emotion that keeps you up at night formatting plans over and over again. It makes you see red and your body shakes of rage. A violent feeling caused by an act of betrayal that hurts people yet it has been a focus that many authors found mesmerizing. Revenge is a humane emotion that many people have felt and have acted upon. Authors like Edmond Rostand, George Orwell, and William Shakesphere found influence from this emotion in writing books like Cyrano de Bergerac, Animal Farm, and Much Ado About Nothing.
Cyrano de Bergerac is a popular book and plays known for the main character with a big nose. Cyrano is a man who is very self-conscious because of his nose and doesn't like anyone talking about it. One of the first acts of revenge Cyrano commits is when De Valvert says " Sir, your nose is...hmm...it is...very big!"(pg) and Cyrano remarks back and the two men continue to go back and forth in a heated argument. They both soon draw their swords and Cyrano starts to speak a ballad about him fighting Valvert and then ending him. Another act that takes place is When de guiche hires 100 men to go after Lingerie. The reason behind this attack is because he "wrote a song which has offended some very powerful people". Cyrano was told about this and promised to protect his friend from all these men. LIgniere is not the only person De Guiche wanted revenge on. Cyrano was a man disliked by most and De Guiche was one of them who wanted to send Cyrano and Christian to war on the front line hoping Cyrano would die. Roxanne didn't want Christian to go to war so she told De Guiche if he wanted to hurt Cyrano he should keep him back to make him feel powerless. The last final act of revenge was on Cyrano who passes away by being "Struck from behind and by a lackey's hand"(). Another way of saying this is a log was dropped onto his head. The book never says who dropped the log but many can assume it was somebody Cyrano had upsetten and wanted their vengeance.
Author George Orwell used revenge as a major theme throughout the book Animal Farm. The story is mostly based on animals and the revenge they want on the farm owner and the farmworkers because they were treated wrong. Napoleon and Snowball are two pigs that both wanted to run the farm after the animals kicked the humans off the farm. Numerous animals took Snowball's side at the beginning. This made Napoleon upset and powerless so he left. Soon he returns to the farm and has dogs chase Snowball off the farm. This act was his revenge but it didn't stop there. Napoleon didn't want anyone to go against him so when something bad would happen like the windmill being destroyed Napoleon told the animals " Do you know the enemy who has come in the night and overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL!" ()Napoleon would continue and say that Snowball was on a neighboring farm plotting his revenge and that "He was Jones's secret agent all the time"() the man who was the owner of the farm. Napoleon would use the animals' fear for propaganda.
William Shakespeare is another author who found interest in the emotion revenge. Especially in his book Much Ado About Nothing. Claudio is a young man who fell in love with a girl named Hero and soon they both intend to get married. Don Pedro is the Prince of Messina and he has a half brother named Don Jhon the Bastard. One of his best men Borachio finds out about this soon to be marriage. Since Claudio is very close to Don Pedro and Don John wants to hurt his brother he finds this the perfect way to do just that. Don Jhon has Borachio sleep with Margaret by Heros window and call out Hero's name. At that moment Don Jhon will have Claudio and Don Pedro walking by and see this happening. When Claudio sees this he becomes heartbroken and feels betrayed and instead of marrying her the next day he will shame her. During the wedding the next day when Claudio is asked if he" come(s) hither, my lord, to marry this lady". Claudio responds with no he does not he then continues to embarrass her saying she is a liar and not innocent. Don Pedro backs Claudio up saying he was also a witness and Hero responds with " I talk'd with no man at that hour, my lord."() They continue to not believe her and walk away leaving Hero in tears. After a plan is figured out of Hero faking her death by going into hiding. Beatrice and Benedick are left conversating and Beatrice is very upset because her cousin is and wants revenge for her cousin. Benedick asks if there is anything a friend could do for her and Beatrice's response is "Kill Claudio"(). Benedick at first refuses but then says that he will challenge Claudio because he loves her. Revenge is a major emotion felt within this book.
Though all of these books were written by three different authors they all share a common theme. Revenge is an emotion that a lot of people feel when they are betrayed.
(I need help on a conclusion)
