The Role of Revenge - Research Paper Example

The Role of Revenge People tend to get the feeling of setting things straight through equality. The same applies to inflicted suffering. When one is wronged or made to suffer, they tend to have the urge to retaliate and make the cause of their pain suffer as much. This retaliation is fuelled by the need for justice and best suits the eye-for-an-eye ideology. No one deserves to suffer the at the hands of others. Thus, no one should escape suffering by making others suffer. Occurrences of revenge prevail throughout the plays Oedipus Rex and Hamlet. These two plays bring out the relationships between children and their parents, nd their various outcomes of love and hate. Revenge results from these two feelings. Revenge is a feeling that can easily be brewed in a person for the pain inflicted and pushes them to perform violent deeds in a bid to cause the same pain on those who hurt them. Oedipus Oedipus Rex is a play about a king, Oedipus, who inherits the throne of a murdered king, Laius. From the beginning of this story, Oedipus believes that he is the son of Polybus, a man from Corinth. However, a plague being suffered in Thebes, his kingdom, causes a lot of trouble to the point of creating confusion. An oracle and a prophet claim that the only solution to the plague would be to avenge the death of Laius. Oedipus promises to find his murderer and to avenge the king’s death. The prophet Tiresias, upon being summoned by Oedipus, reluctantly informed him that he is Laius’ murderer and that his marriage is that of incest. Oedipus is angered and kicks out the prophet. Jocasta, Oedipus wife, consoles him by telling him that she and Laius had an oracle prophecy that their son would kill Laius. They therefore gave their son to a shepherd who was supposed to take the baby boy to a deserted hillside and leave him to die with a pin in his ankle. Furthermore, Laius was killed by a band of robbers. Oedipus is, however, tormented by the memory that he once killed a man at a three road meeting point. He was not sure it was Laius. He summons the shepherd, and as they wait for him, a messenger from Corinth brings news of the death of Oedipus’ father. However, he adds that his mother in Corinth is not his real mother. This evidence is supported by the shepherd, who arrives and confirms that Oedipus is the son of Laius and Jocasta, his wife. He is angered and seeks to kill Jocasta with his sword. Upon entering her chamber, he finds her hanging, dead. He uses gold brooches to gouge out his own eyes as self-punishment, fulfilling the promise of avenging Laius’ death. He then banishes himself despite Creon’s opposition, and bids his daughters farewell (George, 1991). Examples of revenge in Oedipus story include the death of King Laius. After leaving his adopted home in Corinth, Oedipus met a stranger at a point where three roads meet. This man threw an insult at him and Oedipus felt offended. To balance his anger and ego, he murdered this man. He did not realize that he had killed Laius until later on when all evidence pointed to Laius as his father (David, 2010). It was then that he remembered the murder he had committed. However, this murder was just an act of revenge for having been hurt through an insult and embarrassed by a stranger and leads to another act of revenge. This one involves the curse of the herdsman by Oedipus. This shepherd had found Oedipus neglected on a deserted hillside. The young boy had a pin in his ankle that was meant to make him bleed out. The shepherd took the little boy to his Corinthian foster home, saving his life. His motive was genuine and from a noble heart, but its consequence was painful and caused a lot of suffering for Oedipus, his family, and his lineage. The herdsman and the foster parents hid Oedipus’ true identity until it was too late to recover from the damage this had caused. Due to his anger, Oedipus cursed the herdsman. He also kicked him out of his presence. This curse was a form of payback for the wrong committed, though unwillingly. It inflicted pain on the herdsman and Oedipus hoped this would cancel out the pain the herdsman had brought upon him. He eventuality in which Oedipus endures irreversible suffering pushes him to make the herdsman suffer too (David, 2010). Moreover, Oedipus seeks revenge on the murderer of King Laius. Upon discovering that he is the said murderer, he gouges out his own eyes using pieces of gold from his wife’s dress. The blood on his eyes matches the pain in his heart for the discovery of his heinous act. It is also painful for him to find out that he had defiled his mother’s bed. The two had married each other without knowing that they were related. They also had children from this act of incest (George, 1991). This discovery pushes Oedipus to inflict pain on himself just as he had promised he would on the king’s murderer. He also banishes himself from his kingdom, citing that someone who had caused so much suffering to a whole nation deserved pain. He had killed their king and married their queen. Moreover, their incest had brought a great plague on the people pf Thebes. They deserved to see him suffer the way he did. His banishment saw him get separated from his daughters. This separation was also a form of punishment on himself for having killed his father and married his mother. This form of revenge that one carries out against themselves is rare but indicates self-realization, remorse, and nobleness. Oedipus intends to revenge against his mother for having disposed of him at such a young age. Moreover, he is angry at her for having not ensured that he was dead. Had they killed the young Oedipus, he would not have lived to kill his father and sire children with his mother. A messenger reported that Oedipus had a sword and was intending to kill Jocasta. When he got to her chamber, he found that she had ended her life by hanging. He is mad at her for not getting the chance to avenge himself. The queen, on the other hand, might have killed herself out of the need to revenge against the woman who threw away her young son, and later married him. This woman is herself, and she believes that she deserves so much punishment that she ends up committing suicide. She inflicts ultimate revenge on herself for the guilt she feels and the suffering she and her former husband brought upon Oedipus (George, 1991). Hamlet This play is filled with twists and turns of deceit, murder, and revenge. The king, Hamlet’s father, is poisoned by Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle. The king dies, and Claudius marries the queen, Gertrude. However, the castle gets a ghostly visit from the king, who requests Hamlet to investigate his death. It takes time for Hamlet to gather enough evidence of Claudius’ involvement in his father’s death. When he is finally sure of what transpired, he begins to plot against the new king. His delays in executing his plans result in many unnecessary deaths, including his. Hamlet stabs Polonius for eavesdropping his conversation with Gertrude. He also instructs the execution of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who had been told to take Hamlet to England for execution. Ophelia becomes mad with sadness after these deaths and drowns. To avenge her death, Laertes plans to kill Hamlet, but his poisonous sword falls into the hands of Hamlet, who strikes him with it, killing him. Gertrude dies by taking poisoned wine intended for Hamlet, and, as a result, Hamlet drives Laertes’ sword into Claudius and drowns him drink in the poisoned wine, killing him. Hamlet then dies from the same poisoned sword since Laertes had cut him with it during their sword fight. He declares Prince Fortinbras as heir to the throne before dying (Miller, 1994). The primary act of revenge is seen in Hamlet, who wishes to make Claudius pay for his father’s death. His father’s ghost appears to him and informs him that Claudius poisoned him in his sleep. Hamlet is angered by the fact that Claudius had proclaimed himself king and married his mother, Gertrude. He investigates this murder, and upon confirming this mischief, he plots to kill Claudius. A fight that ensues between Hamlet, Claudius and Laertes completes the revenge mission, although the three of them end up dead. Hamlet is willing to punish his father’s killers, even if it means losing his life. This selflessness shows his love for his father. Another act of revenge is the one between Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Claudius instructs the two to take Hamlet to England after the murder of Polonius. This act is a form of betrayal. He is mad at them for being traitors and order their hanging. This revenge is due to the feeling of betrayal and pain caused by relatives. Claudius had called them in to keep an eye on his nephew. The death of the two leads to madness in Ophelia, who drowns and dies due to her sadness. To avenge her, Laertes plots to kill Hamlet. He even poisons his sword, hoping that whichever injury he inflicts on Hamlet will be fatal. Laertes dies in this fight, and so does Hamlet. This event also combines Hamlet’s revenge on Laertes for colluding with Claudius, his father’s murderer. Laertes confesses that Claudius was fully involved in the king’s death. Hamlet is angry and kills Laertes with his poisoned sword. Hamlet completes his revenge mission but loses his mother and his life. Movie: The Big Heat This movie features Dave Bannion, a homicide police officer who investigates the death of his colleague. His investigation uncovers ties to the local mob that is led by Mike Lagana and Vince Stone. He digs deeper into the mob, but his research prompts the death of his wife, Katie, through a car bomb planted by the mob. Dave vows to avenge his wife’s death and even quits his job to concentrate on his mission. He succeeds through a series of violent events and is assisted by Stone’s girlfriend, Debby. The theme of revenge is evident in this film. Dave Bannion loses his wife to a mob, and a corrupt police department cannot assist him settle this case. He goes solo, managing to get evidence from Duncan. Stone had burnt Debby’s face with hot coffee, and she revenges the same way. In the process, a scuffle ensues, and Stone shoots Debby. Bannion had followed stone to his house, and his intervention leads to the arrest of Stone. Debby succumbs to the gunshot wound. The evidence from Duncan surfaces and gets the corrupt police commissioner and Lagana, the mob boss, indicted. Bannion finally gets his revenge for the murder of his wife (Allan, 1986). Conclusion The two plays and the movie outline the pain and the suffering inflicted on different people. These people retaliate by causing pain on their offenders. Their acts of revenge are mostly devastating, resulting in deaths as in the story of Hamlet and blindness in Oedipus. The three cases are clear depictions of revenge prompted by oppression. The similarity between Oedipus and Hamlet is seen in their determination to know the truth. They strive to get the identities of their fathers’ killers. The two also love their parents and would go to great extents to avenge their deaths. These two characters are also similar in their self-pride. They ride high and are rulers or rightful heirs of thrones. Their pride sees them declare murders: that of Laius’ murderer in Oedipus’ story; and that of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Hamlet’s story. In fact, Hamlet goes to the extreme of ordering a hanging. The two are also similar in their hatred for incest. Despite in-breeding being common in Oedipus’ time, he loathes the fact that he married his mother. His discovery of this makes him want to kill his mother with his sword. Hamlet despises the fact that his mother gets married to his uncle after his father’s death. To him, this is an act of incest that should be condemned. The differences between the two are seen in the way Oedipus makes rash decisions. He does not take time to think before making conclusions or passing judgment. The opposite is seen in Hamlet, who takes his time to investigate Claudius and confirm his involvement in the death of his father. Oedipus is also more religious than Hamlet. He consults oracles and prophets in his problems and dealings. This belief is unlike Hamlet's, who more of a scholar than a religious man is. He believes in reason. Revenge is an act that seeks justice in a dealing that is deemed unfair. The person feeling oppressed finds a way of leveling things out by inflicting a similar kind of pain on the oppressor. The fairness in revenge is determined by the fulfillment it gives its originator. A person who carries out a revenge mission might end up satisfied as with the homicide cop in the movie, or hurt like in the two plays. In fact, Hamlet dies in his story of revenge. This death is far much worse than if he had just left Claudius rule in his place. It, however, gives him moral fulfillment for having avenged his father’s death and given the throne to a king of his choice. Works cited Sophocles, and George Young. Oedipus Rex. New York: Dover Publications, 1991. Internet resource Sophocles, David Grene, and Sophocles. Oedipus the King. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010. Miller, Joanne K. William Shakespeare's Hamlet. , 1994. Internet resource. Shakespeare, William, and Alan Durband. Hamlet. Cheltenham, England: Stanley Thornes, 1986 Read More