Characterizing Revenge in the Past and Present

Everybody has felt and taken action on the emotion of revenge, whether it is on your sibling, friend, or enemy. Vengeance is an extremely popular emotion in today's life as it was Shakespeare's time. Today, this reaction is apparent on the news when, for example a Palestinian terrorist organization will blow up a bus full of Israelis because of a military action that the Israeli army made. It also occurs on many television shows such as soap operas. The idea was also evident during Shakespeare's time and was included in many of his plays, one of the most notable being the tragedy Othello. Throughout the past and present it is clear the extensive feeling and consequences of experiencing revenge.

The characteristic of revenge is also evident in my own experiences. Many times I will shove my brother, or I will refuse to answer his questions for homework to get revenge for his bothering me.

From the Library of Congress: TITLE: Thos. W. Keen...

English: Photographic full-length portrait of Edwi...

Illustration of Othello and Iago

One specific memory of revenge that occurred in my own life was when a friend of mine from sleep-away camp created a website to jokingly mock me. I took the website the wrong way and was deeply offended. I got very angry with the former friend and my anger was quick to turn to feelings of revenge. I wanted to make him feel how I felt, and maybe even worse. I devised a plan in which I would break into the site and change it from mocking me to mocking him. It was perfect; I took his idea but switched it around on him. Plus, when anyone would check the page to see what it had to say about me they would learn some interesting things about the real culprit. Although I felt amazing when the site went up and got some new publicity around the...