Revenge Theme Research In Both Chinese Literature And Western Literature

Revenge is a kind of special and extreme cultural phenomenon in human’s history. As an important literature motif discourse, revenge literature records the magnificent human spirit of individual fighting and social practice course, which plays an important role both in Chinese literature and Western literature.Because of differences in values, ethics, legal system, cultural practices etc, the revenge theme in Chinese literature and Western literature showed different cultural characteristics. From the diachronic dimension and synchronic dimension, using the methods of prototype criticism and comparative literature, from revenge motivation, revenge mode, commendatory and derogatory derivation, the differences in the form and content of revenge theme between Chinese literature and Western literature was researched.As revenge motivation as concern, to the Opium War as the boundary, the revenge theme’s research was divided into the ancient part and the modern part, the revenge in ancient was promoted by "Filial Piety and Good Theory", Taoism and Buddhist dispel delay revenge in modern literature. In revenge mode aspects, the revenge theme was divided into three kinds of models:there were blood revenge, love revenge and other revenges. The differences in the narrative format, revenge means, revenge purpose etc was studied deeply in Chinese literature and Western literature. With a developing vision, in modern Chinese literature, the absolute praise for revenge in China was subverted, in stead, personal’s living condition and development was paid close attention in revenge theme;As for "truth" requirements in Western culture, more narrative point of view was seeked, multi-lateral form and different qualities was reflected in revenge theme, thus, its evaluation was also mixed.Different cultural connotations and value orientations involved in revenge theme were explored and explained in the present research. Besides, this research outlined the inheritance and evolution of revenge theme in both western literature and Chinese literature.