Editing Revenge (section)

== In literature ==
Revenge has been a popular literary theme historically and continues to play a role in contemporary works.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=C. Armstrong|last2=W. Bright|last3=Collitz|last4=Marden|first=Edward|first2=James|first3=Hermann|first4=C. Carroll|date=1911|title=MLN, Volume 26|journal=MLN|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press, 1911|volume=26|pages=115–116}}</ref> Examples of literature that feature revenge as a theme include the plays ''[[Hamlet]]'' and ''[[Othello]]'' by [[William Shakespeare]], the novel ''[[The Count of Monte Cristo]]'' by [[Alexandre Dumas]], and the short story "[[The Cask of Amontillado]]" by [[Edgar Allan Poe]]. More modern examples include the novels ''[[Carrie (novel)|Carrie]]'' by [[Stephen King]], ''[[Gone Girl (novel)|Gone Girl]]'' by [[Gillian Flynn]], and ''[[The Princess Bride (novel)|The Princess Bride]]'' by [[William Goldman]]. Although revenge is a theme in itself, it is also considered to be a [[genre]].<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Women and Revenge in Shakespeare: Gender, Genre, and Ethics|last = Marguerite|first = Tassi|date = September 22, 2012|journal = Renaissance Quarterly}}</ref>

Revenge as a genre has been consistent with a variety of themes that have frequently appeared in different texts over the last few centuries. Such themes include but are not limited to: [[disguise]], [[Masking (behavior)|masking]], [[Sexual intercourse|sex]], [[Human cannibalism|cannibalism]], the [[grotesque body|grotesque]], bodily fluids, power, violent murders, and secrecy.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Revenge: An Analysis of Its Psychological Underpinnings|last = Grobbink|first = Leonie|date = July 2015|journal = International Journal of Offender Therapy & Comparative Criminology|volume = 59|issue = 8|pages = 892–907|doi = 10.1177/0306624X13519963|pmid = 24441031| s2cid=220490026 }}</ref> Each theme is usually coupled with the concept of [[Irony#Dramatic irony|dramatic irony]]. Dramatic irony is a literary device in which the audience possesses knowledge unavailable to characters in a novel, play, or film.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url = http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?sid=f8163f8d-cf94-4bab-9b2b-db78100c535c%40sessionmgr4004&vid=15&hid=4213&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=89404922&db=ers|title = Dramatic Irony|date = January 2015|website = Research Starters|publisher = Salem Press Encyclopedia of Literature|last = Rholetter|first = Wylene}}</ref> Its purpose is to intensify the tragic events that are going to unfold by creating tension between the audience and the actions of the characters.<ref name=":0" />

The most common theme within the genre of revenge is the recurring violent murders that take place throughout the text, especially in the final act or scene. The root of the violence is usually derived from the characters' childhood development.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.nonviolenceandsocialjustice.org/Research-Literature/Sanctuary-Model-literature-and-works-by-Sandra-Bloom/Reflections-on-the-Desire-for-Revenge/75/|title = Reflections on the Desire for Revenge|date = 2001|website = Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice|last = Bloom|first = Sandra|publisher = Journal of Emotional Abuse|access-date = 2015-12-12|archive-date = 2015-12-09|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151209235734/http://www.nonviolenceandsocialjustice.org/Research-Literature/Sanctuary-Model-literature-and-works-by-Sandra-Bloom/Reflections-on-the-Desire-for-Revenge/75/|url-status = live}}</ref>

The themes of masking and disguise have the ability to go hand in hand with each other. A character may employ disguise literally or [[metaphor]]ically. A mask is the literal example of this theme; while pretending to be something one is not is considered to be the metaphoric example. Additional themes that may cause the [[protagonist]] and [[antagonist]] to develop a masked or disguised identity include sex, power, and even [[Human cannibalism|cannibalism]]. Examples of sex and power being used as themes can be seen in the novel ''[[Gone Girl (novel)|Gone Girl]]'' by [[Gillian Flynn]], as well as the aforementioned drama, ''Titus Andronicus''.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Willbern|first=David|title=Rape and Revenge in "Titus Andronicus"|journal=English Literary Renaissance|volume=8}}</ref>