You may have heard the expression, “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” The expression first came from author Eugene Sue, written in the 1800s. It has subsequently been used in movies and books, and has been attributed to an old Klingon proverb in the 1982 film Star Trek, The Wrath of Khan. The expression addresses the benefit of executing a carefully planned reprisal, as opposed to an instant defensive reaction.
Authors sometimes write a revenge plot because they want to get even with their personal enemies, or right some social injustice. The stories are popular and weave through literature history. Some of the more famous:
– The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandra Dumas tells of Edmond Dantes, jailed for a crime he did not commit, and when he escaped decades later, meticulously went about punishing the people who framed him.
– Hamlet by Shakespeare presents Hamlet, who was trying to avenge his father’s murder, and in the end the stage is littered with bodies.
– Moby Dick by Herman Melville recounts the fate of Captain Ahab, who wanted to repay the white whale that had taken his leg. In the sea chase, he drove his ship, himself and his crew to madness.
– True Grit by Charles Portis, is a story about a young teenage girl who hired a drunken US Marshall named Rooster Cogburn to kill the outlaw who murdered her father. This story doesn’t end well either.
When seasoned authors create a revenge plot it has very specific tools and devices. For example:
– A cycle in which one act precipitates the next act, and the spiral continues, getting worse.
– A reversal, where the hero, who is trying to punish the villain, somehow turns into a villain himself, and the reader is not sure for whom they should be cheering.
– The collateral damage of innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire, which makes both the avenger and the reader wonder whether this was all worth it.
In summary, I have a subjective question about these fictional stories, and others you’ve read. Does the sweet taste of payback validate all the damage the protagonist caused? Or is the pyrrhic victory NOT justified, even when the retaliation is successful? I welcome comments!
There is certainly no question about the Desert Foothills Book Festival! It’s a fun and exciting book-lovers event coming to The Holland Center, 34250 N. 60th Street, Scottsdale, on Saturday, October 17th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please join us to meet local authors, win raffle prizes, and get autographed books.
