Society’s Expectation of Revenge

836 Words2 Pages

Revenge is defined as harming someone for the wrong doings that they commit. Revenge is the key ingredient to hundreds of the most loved and action packed movies, books, and shows of today. Because of the fact that there is so much vengeance played out in entertainment media, society encourages revenge as necessary to those seeking retribution. Works of art such as Kill Bill and “Killings” are prime examples of stories that are about revenge.
As mentioned before, Kill Bill is known for its goriness, kung fu fighting, and vengeful plot. It appeals to millions and millions of people across the world. The movie is highly entertaining to many, but does that mean it sends a good message to society? In the two-part movie by Quentin Tarantino, the pregnant protagonist is nearly killed by her ex-boyfriend and his gang of assassins. The protagonist wakes up in a hospital from a four-year-long coma with no baby. Like most movies of today, the protagonist did not wakeup with feelings of forgiving those who wronged her. She didn’t want to confront them in a civil and mature manner. She didn’t seek the help of the law. She did what society expected of her. She did what the people who watched her wanted her to do. She went out on a revenge-seeking rave and killed everyone that was on her hit list. What do people learn from this movie? People learn that the only way for the protagonist to seek retribution was by killing nearly 100 people (imdb.com). This movie shows that it is necessary to have revenge and society approves.
For example, one critic whose username is Cocephus calls the revenge in the plot “cool”. “The end feels right, coming after an epic battle…” (Cocephus). The ending of Kill Bill is that the main character successfu...

... middle of paper ...

... Kill Bill: Vol. 1. Web log post. IMDB.com. 12 Oct. 2003.
Web. 13 Feb. 2014. .
Dubus, Andre. "Bold Type: Excerpt by Andre Dubus." Bold Type: Excerpt by Andre Dubus. 1979.
Web. 13 Feb. 2014.
"Kill Bill: Vol. 1." IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 13 Feb. 2014.
?ref_=nv_sr_1>.
Murray, Rebecca. ""Kill Bill Vol. 1" Movie Review." About.com Hollywood Movies. Web. 13 Feb. 2014.
.
Schultz, Lynne H. "Secular Web Kiosk: March 4th, 1966: The Beginning of the End for John
Lennon?" Secular Web Kiosk: March 4th, 1966: The Beginning of the End for John Lennon? Web. 13 Feb. 2014. .

Show More
Related

  • Literary Devices Utilized in Thomas Foster's Book "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" Put to Use in "Pulp Fiction"

    1048 Words  | 3 Pages

    The only real way to truly understand a story is to understand all aspects of a story and their meanings. The same goes for movies, as they are all just stories being acted out. In Thomas Foster's book, “How to Read Literature Like a Professor”, Foster explains in detail the numerous ingredients of a story. He discusses almost everything that can be found in any given piece of literature. The devices discussed in Foster's book can be found in most movies as well, including in Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic, “Pulp Fiction”. This movie is a complicated tale that follows numerous characters involved in intertwining stories. Tarantino utilizes many devices to make “Pulp Fiction” into an excellent film. In this essay, I will demonstrate how several literary devices described in Foster's book are put to use in Tarantino’s film, “Pulp Fiction”, including quests, archetypes, food, and violence.

    Read More

  • War and Heroism in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five

    780 Words  | 2 Pages

    Slaughterhouse Five is not a book that should be glanced over and discarded away like a dirty rag. Slaughterhouse Five is a book that should be carefully analyzed and be seen as an inspiration to further improve the well-being of mankind. Vonnegut makes it clear that an easy way to improve mankind is to see war not as a place where legends are born, but rather, an event to be avoided. Intelligent readers and critics alike should recognize Vonnegut’s work and see to it that they make an effort to understand the complexities behind the human condition that lead us to war.

    Read More

  • Revenge: The Unvanquished

    911 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Unvanquished by William Faulkner, the theme of revenge appears throughout the story. Primarily, Bayard and Ringo avenge the death of Rosa Millard, their grandmother. By violently shooting the sociopath Grumby, Granny’s killer, their revenge is wrought through the traditional Southern form of closure, bringing about the death of the killer and avenging the victim. Next, Drusilla, Bayard’s cousin, displays revenge by joining Colonel Sartoris of the Confederate army in order to avenge the death of her fiancé. By joining the Confederates, Drusilla gains the opportunity to kill the Yankee soldiers responsible for her fiancé’s death in battle. Finally, Bayard exacts vengeance upon Redmond for murdering Colonel John Sartoris, Bayard’s father. However, Bayard achieves his goal of seeking revenge in a nonviolent way, avoiding killing anyone, breaking the traditional Southern code of revenge. Each character struggles with the necessity to avenge the death of their loved ones, seeking the ultimate, most appropriate punishment for the murderer who harms their family.

    Read More

  • Violence in the Media

    1064 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...sening up in this country, although not quite to the extreme as in Natural Born Killers. Despite the controversy caused by the assumed message that "killing is cool," there is important ideology embedded within the film. There is sanity within the insane. The film, in a sense, displays the consequences caused by the suppression of the inner, free soul. We've all seen instances of people "cracking" under the pressures of modern society. I'm not suggesting that we live like wild animals, but I do think that Natural Born Killers is an excellent movie which made a natural attempt to kill standard ideology.

    Read More

  • Vengeance in the Crucible

    709 Words  | 2 Pages

    Vengeance is the act of taking revenge for a past wrong. In the Crucible, Thomas Putnam and Abigail Williams both took advantage of circumstances to carry out vengeance against different people.

    Read More

  • Why Is Revenge Important In Hamlet

    536 Words  | 2 Pages

    I would like to write an essay over. In my personal preference I chose revenge as my motif.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of A Long Way Gone By Ishmael Beah

    219 Words  | 1 Pages

    The idea of revenge is scary I see why people do it but I do and don't agree with it. Sometimes I see why someone can want to get revenge back but also other times you should just leave the situation alone and leave things be. Maybe the purpose of revenge is in preventing that

    Read More

  • Revenge

    713 Words  | 2 Pages

    Revenge is considered part of human nature because it is a survival instinct. Humans are inclined to commit acts of savagery because people are delicate beings. The Oxford English Dictionary defines revenge as, “the action of hurting or harming someone in return for an injury or wrong suffered.” Two good examples involve Montresor from the Cask of Amontillado and the unknown narrator from the Tell- Tale Heart. Montresor murders a fellow wine connoisseur because he insulted Montresor in a manner that could not be exonerated. The narrator of the Tell-Tale Heart enacts revenge by murdering an old man for provoking the narrator’s worst fears in the form of a “ vulture eye”. In both of these works by Edgar Allen Poe, the need for revenge consumed their internal fears and insecurities to perform those cruel acts. In the end though, both of the people discussed showed signs of remorse that in a way formed the character.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Denying Humanity In Pursuit Of Revenge

    1751 Words  | 4 Pages

    Humanity is considered synonymous with compassion and tolerance. These definitions coincide with core Christian values of treating others with respect. These traits culminate into a general understanding that humanity is mainly characterized by having strong morals and conscience. In Paul A. Cantor’s critical essay of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, called “Hamlet’s Christian Beliefs Stifle his Heroic Impulse”, the author attributes many of the protagonist’s decisions to his religion, and more specifically his conscience. Hamlet is about a prince whose father was murdered and replaced as king by his uncle Claudius. Throughout he play, Hamlet contemplates Claudius’ guilt and how to exact revenge in a way

    Read More

  • Justice vs Revenge

    1309 Words  | 3 Pages

    Justice is part of revenge; as also for revenge is part of justice. “Justice” comes from a Latin word that means “straight, fair, equal”, it’s the quality of being righteous and loyal towards one’s state, although serves the interests of the stronger (Hourani, 1962), while revenge is the act of taking retaliation for injuries or wrongs. What ever the circumstances are being the individual who experiences a unjust act, results in the hunt for one of these two things: Justice or revenge. What are the key differences between the two? Justice can be defined as the concept of moral rightness, which is based on the rules of law, fairness, ethics, and equality among the governed citizens. Revenge, on the other hand, refers to an action taken by an individual as a response to an act of injustice. The principle of revenge is “an eye for an eye”…. Can revenge be justified and be as equally part of justice if they both seek retribution for a wrongdoing?

    Read More

  • Revenge

    1798 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout history, revenge, or vengeance, has been altered by several cultures and even the American culture. This is shown throughout many ancient greek epics. Throughout these two epics, what is just revenge and what the action of revenge is are much different than what Revenge is seen through today’s society. Revenge is the main theme in The Iliad, with Achilles’ revenge on Agamemnon and Hector, and in The Odyssey, with Poseidon’s revenge on Odysseus and Odysseus’s revenge on the Suitors, and these epics define how revenge was seen in the ancient Greek world.

    Read More

  • Theme of Revenge in Literature and Movies

    914 Words  | 2 Pages

    Revenge is such an enormous part of a being human. It is something that no matter how much you try to avoid part of you will persistently lust for it. When you are hurt in any way your natural instinct will always tell you to make the one who hurt you feel just as bad if not worse as how you felt. It is such a natural and powerful feeling, that when revenge is incorporated into a story it makes it so much stronger. Revenge will make you see so many more sides of characters and make them seem much more complex. Revenge can give fictional characters a more human quality. That is why so many writers use it as their theme.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Revenge In The Crucible

    1107 Words  | 3 Pages

    The feeling and act of revenge is known to many people. It is often characterized as getting payback on a person in order to gain self-satisfaction. We can most likely all look back at a time when we thought somebody wronged us or made us feel pain. Do you not ever want the person causing the pain to feel a piece of the hurt? This is the feeling of revenge. You can find an easy picture of what revenge looks like when you watch young children argue or fight. Children who hurt others feel that they have been hurt and they try to even up the score. Sometimes people will go through

    Read More

  • Nature of Revenge

    960 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Those who plot the destruction of others often fall themselves” (Phaedrus). This quote was said by a Roman fabulist and it depicts the entire concept of revenge in Hamlet. The nature of revenge causes someone to act upon anger rather than reason. Hamlet takes place in Denmark and is about Hamlet’s uncle who kills his dad to gain power of Denmark. After the killing, Hamlet seeks revenge on his uncle. In the play, there are several characters wanting vengeance like that of Hamlet. Throughout the play, Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras all had a tragic death of a family member which caused their decision for revenge. Consequentially, these revenges caused the demise of two characters and the rise of power of another. The retaliation shown by the Prince of Denmark, as well as Laertes led to the downfall of their government.

    Read More

  • Taking Revenge on Others

    763 Words  | 2 Pages

    My personal experience with revenge isn’t much, and it concerns little things. Revenge can simply be when a person draws on your book, and in spite you would draw on their book as well. It might as well occur in a game, for example my friend plays a lot of game online and this game is to simply ‘kill’ other opponents. Once, her character got attacked by another opponent but she was not prepared for the attack and she lost. Because of this, she was angry and wanted to seek revenge. She then got all her other friends to ‘gang’ up and attack the opponent. Since it wasn’t a very fair battle, the opponent lost. This act might seem childish and trivial, but this is the act of revenge.

    Read More

More about Society’s Expectation of Revenge

Open Document