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The Theme Of Revenge In Charles Dickens Great Expectations

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Sweet, Sweet Revenge
Isaac Barrow, a theologian, once declared, “It is commonly said that revenge is sweet, but to a calm and considerate mind, patience and forgiveness are sweeter.” Great Expectations, written by Charles Dickens, exudes the idea that revenge may seem satisfying, but patience and forgiveness offer more fulfillment. Revenge, the act of retaliating for wrongs, injuries, or humiliation received, often with the objective to eliminate shame and to restore pride, is utilized as a motivating element for numerous actions, both positive and negative, throughout the novel. Dickens composes a story in which gaining vengeance, through the actions of numerous individuals: Orlick, Magwitch, and Miss Havisham, is a significant component. …show more content…

She captivates the audience by providing a passionate description of the emotions that she perceived long ago. Her fervent account of love conveys her long lost feelings. In addition, Herbert divulges, “The girl’s hard and haughty and capricious to the last degree, and has been brought up by Miss Havisham to wreak revenge on all the male sex.” (186) Possessing a broken heart, Miss Havisham has attempted to take revenge on all the male sex, through Estella, . She raises Estella to break the hearts of all the men that she encounters. As a result of Miss Havisham’s method in raising Estella, she grows up to be a cold hearted, irresponsible person. All in all, Miss Havisham manipulates Estella as redemption for her own life and a tool to take revenge. Thus, developing a great consequence on the main character of Great Expectations, Pip. Pip, who becomes smitten by Estella and her beauty, is driven to become a gentleman and alter himself to attract Estella. Subsequently, his ambition to charm Estella leads him to be beguiled and subjugated by her. Therefore Miss Havisham’s quest for vengeance greatly affected the occurances of the

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