Earlier in class we tossed around the idea that revenge is something between equal parties (i.e. gods vs. god or mortal vs. mortal) and punishment happened between unequal parties (god vs. mortal). I can concur with this idea because I think revenge is something you do to get back at someone for doing something bad to you, and punishment is something that happens when you want to teach a lesson and keep someone in line. For example, Juno took revenge on the god, Tiresias, by turning him blind. This was all because Tiresias sided with Jove over which gender enjoyed sex more. I would call this first example revenge because 1) Juno and Tiresias are both gods, 2) even though Tiresias was blinded, it’s not like Tiresias became less of a god and 3) Jove gave Tiresias the gift of foresight, which made him famous, so it was all good in the end.
On the other hand, Juno repeatedly punished Cadmus and anyone/ anything related to him by trying to kill his offspring, or calling on plagues to wipe out entire cities. I would categorize this example as punishment because Juno repeatedly sent her wrath upon Cadmus to remind him of her hate and remind the mortals that she was above them. Now all this revenge and punishment is great (really exfoliates the skin and everything), but who gets to decide if it’s revenge or punishment? Is it the bard? Is it the audience? I think it’s both. The bard does play a role because he/she has the ability to tell the story the way he/she wants it. They may be able to present two sides of a story or blatantly state their opinion without shedding a drop of light onto the opposing side. However, I believe the audience holds the true power to decide because they can interpret the text the way they want to. Maybe they examine both, or multiple, sides of the argument and then formulate their own opinion. They could completely oppose the bard’s views and settle to point out every flaw. Either way the bard supplies the tools to create something, and the audience decides what conclusions to draw.
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AuthorA freelance writer who hasn't done anything of mentionable significance. Archives
May 2017
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