OF REVENGE BY FRANCIS BACON SUMMARY
Of Revenge by Francis Bacon is a short but meaningful essay that carries the author
personal views about the great upsurge of nowadays society that is “revenge”. Bacon
starts the essay by calling revenge as animalistic behavior by using the words “wild
justice” for it. By such contrast, he describes the whole picture of the animal and human
life. The more one’s nature turns toward for taking revenge, the more he is taking the
law into his hands. If one commits a crime or does some harm to anybody, he/she is
offending and violating the law but when the victim counterattacks, it make the law of no
use. The law is useless when a person tries to take revenge himself. Undoubtedly by
taking revenge, the wrongdoer and the counter-attacker are equal and at the same
level. There is no difference between both, apparently. Bacon highlights the point that
revenge is totally against the law. By ignoring or forgiving the wrong done to one by
other makes a person superior to other as it is the quality of kings and prince to forgive
others. By forbearing others, one makes a respectable place in the society.
By quoting Salomon, a wisest Jewish philosopher, Bacon designates the quality of wise
men that a secret of their glory is they always ignore the wrongs from others. To him,
wise men don’t think about past. For what is done, is gone that cannot be changed. But
the wise men focus on the present and they learn through their previous experiences
and apply them in the present. Why should one care about the past as they have much
to do about present and future? Forgive, forget, and move on.
Bacon interestingly illustrates that why will a person do wrong to someone? What could
be possible reasons behind? Is he/she doing wrong for the sake of wrong? If so, then
why? The answer is given by bacon himself. One doesn’t do wrong with others for the
sake of wrongs but to gain and acquire himself certain profit ( that could me of money or
something else), or a particular pleasure (just like a sadist enjoys sufferings of others),
or it might be to avail some respect and honor, or could be anything like that. Bacon,
then, argues that why should I become mad at a person who loves himself more than
me? This is then not a well-to-do workout to do. And if a person does wrong because it
is his nature then these people are like “thorn” and “briar” (bushes) which can only
puncture and cut. So, let them do, don’t complain.
Bacon, moreover, points out that if one makes himself engross in revenge that has no
legal remedy, “the most tolerable sort of revenge”, then the one looking to avenge
should make sure that there is no rule or law to rebuke him. Bacon suggested that the
person taking revenge should make his enemies informed as it might make the
opposition party repent. It is more delightful to make one repent than to hurt. But if you
take revenge silently by not provoking them, you will be a coward which is like an arrow
that could hit anyone in the dark.
Bacon extends his argument about the wrongs that cannot be pardoned. These wrongs
usually come from our beloved friend, as one can forgive the enemy form whom we can
expect such wrongs but these sort of friend are like snakes who stabs at your back and
doesn’t give you a moment to understand what they have done to you. The author
quoted the Cosmos, the Duke of Florence that we have read that we are commanded to
forgive our enemies, but we have never read that we are commanded to forgive our
friends. But still, bacon says, we should not be so much inclined toward avenging them.
As we are satisfied to take all good deeds from God but why are we not happy to take
evil from him, too? So, we should forgive even our friends and consider them an evil
from the God.
A person who is always in sickness to take revenge and searching for a good moment
to take will keep his wound evergreen and will never let them cure. In such condition,
the only loss is to the sufferer which would otherwise heal and move on and focusing
more on his present and future than to remain buried in his past.
Bacon, lastly, ends the essay by arguing that public revenge, on the most past for bad
leader or rules is fortunate. He gives examples of the public death of Caesar, Partinax
(a Roman emperor), and Henry the Third of France. In public act of revenge, there is a
huge lesson for the public and rest of people as it set an example for other while the
private revenge, on the other hand, makes a person, who nourishes evil desires for
others, to live a life of witches. Such life is full of rascal so they end, unfortunately.
OF REVENGE MAIN THEMES
Following are the main theme of the essay Of Revenge.
REVENGE: A WILD JUSTICE:
“Revenge is a kind of wild justice”, Bacon argues. Wild justice symbolizes animalistic
behavior. Animals don’t have any rules and regulation nor do they have any law to
maintain order in their society. So they are inclined towards taking revenge. While, on
the other hand, human society has a law to regulate human behavior. They shouldn’t be
inclined towards avenging others like animals. By doing so they are taking the law into
hands and in such cases the law is useless.
PRIVATE REVENGE IS USELESS:
Private revenge is unfortunate and useless as by avenging others one takes the law into
his hands. One should consult law to take revenge. The revenge for that wrongs is
tolerable and fortunate which has no lawful remedy. If there is law then it’s unfortunate.
The one who is always in search of the moment to take revenge is the most unfortunate
person as his wound are evergreen and lives a life of witches.
FORGIVE, FORGET, AND MOVE ON:
Bacon’s argument about revenge highly appeals to one moral and ethical sense of
supremacy. According to him, the wise man is the one who forgives others and
concentrates on his present and future than on past. Since the wrongs done in past is
gone and irrevocable so, it is useless to live in past. Just forgive, forget, and move on.
PUBLIC REVENGE IS FORTUNATE:
Bacon argues that public act of revenge on the most part are fortunate as they set
examples for others. Bad leaders should be punished publically and in the worst way so
that other learns a lesson from it and avoid doing such acts.
