Essay on Of Revenge Francis Bacon’s Optimistic Tale

Of Revenge: Francis Bacon’s Optimistic Tale?nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp; Revenge and vengeance are basic tools of human instinct. Whether society chooses to accept or blind itself to this fact, it is an indisputable truth. Francis Bacon examines this truth in Of Revenge, a view of society and literary characters that reflects the strive for vengeance. However, Of Revenge deeply underestimates the corruption of the human spirit and soul. It completely disregards the presence of the basic human instinct which thrives on the manipulation and destruction of others, for the sake of satisfaction. Though Bacon’s inferences to the book of Job or Solomon are perfectly viable to a character that chooses to†¦show more content†¦She murdered her brother, was willingly ostracized from her homeland, gave Jason two sons, and killed most of Jason’s enemies using her knowledge of black arts. In short, Jason’s inability to remain faithful to a woman who obsessed over him, causes Medea’s search for vengeance. The wrongs committed by Jaso n with respect to Medea mirror Bacon’s belief that revenge makes a man but even with his enemy as well as we are commanded to forgive our enemies; but never read that we are commanded to forgive our friends. In this case, Medea cannot forgive her husband and takes revenge by murdering the king of Corinth and his daughter, Jason’s fianceacute;, as well as murders Jason’s two sons. Though this form of revenge is cold-blooded and sadistic, Bacon would have believed that Medea’s actions were justified due to the wrongs Jason committed against her. It is for this reason that the character of Medea is carefully crafted to fit Bacon’s mold of a person seeking revenge, as well as illustrates the importance of the theme of revenge in the play. Though Bacon’s views are illustrated through Medea, they are grossly disproportional to the character of Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello. Bacon quotes, there is no man doth a wrong for the wrong’s sake. However, Iago is considered one of the most disgusting and vengeful characters in literature that destroys the lives of innocents for his own behalf. In fact,