Poetic Justice

Introduction

Poetic justice is a literary device used to convey that ultimate justice prevails within a narrative, where good characters are rewarded and bad characters are punished. This device is deeply satisfying to readers as it aligns with human desires for fairness and moral order. Typically, poetic justice involves a fitting or ironic end to a character’s story line that reflects their moral conduct throughout the narrative. For example, a villainous character might end up facing consequences directly related to their own wrongdoing, thereby experiencing a downfall that feels just and deserved. This mechanism is prevalent in many genres but is particularly resonant in drama and fiction, where the intricate play of morality and consequence can be explored in depth.

Pronunciation:
Poetic justice is pronounced as /poʊˈɛtɪk ˈdʒʌs.tɪs/.

When do writers use Poetic Justice literary device?

Writers employ poetic justice primarily to satisfy a reader’s sense of morality and fairness. It’s often used in narratives where themes of morality are prominent, ensuring that good is rewarded and evil is punished. This device serves multiple purposes: it reinforces the moral fabric of the story, provides closure to the audience, and upholds the didactic purpose of literature by teaching lessons about right and wrong. Poetic justice can be particularly effective in genres that delve into ethical dilemmas, such as crime novels, fairy tales, and dramas. By employing this device, authors can offer resolution in complex stories, ensuring that despite the twists and turns of the plot, justice is ultimately served.

Rules for using Poetic Justice literary device

When incorporating poetic justice into your writing, consider these guidelines to enhance its effectiveness:

1. Maintain Believability: Ensure that the outcome feels realistic within the story’s setting. The consequences should logically arise from the actions of the characters.
2. Create Satisfying Consequences: The rewards or punishments administered should feel deserved and fitting to the actions of the characters. This enhances the emotional impact on the reader.
3. Build Up to the Moment: Develop your characters and plot in a way that the poetic justice feels earned and impactful. Sudden moral resolutions can feel forced if not properly built up.
4. Use Subtlety: While it’s important that the justice feels appropriate, being too heavy-handed can detract from the narrative. Aim for a balanced approach where the poetic justice is clear but not overly predictable.
5. Reflect the Theme: Align the poetic justice with the overall themes of your story. This reinforces the narrative’s moral or message and makes the ending more cohesive and powerful.

Following these rules can help you effectively use poetic justice to create a more engaging and morally resonant story.

Types of Poetic Justice

Poetic justice can manifest in various forms, depending on how it is used to address the moral balance within the story. Here are a few common types:

1. Karmic Poetic Justice: This type centers on the idea of karma, where the good or bad fortune of a character is directly related to their past actions. It’s often depicted as “what goes around comes around.”
2. Ironical Poetic Justice: Here, the outcome is particularly ironic compared to the actions of the character. For example, a thief who steals a lottery ticket only to discover it’s a loser.
3. Natural Consequence Poetic Justice: In this type, the poetic justice arises naturally from the circumstances without the need for external force or coincidence. It’s often seen as the most realistic form, where the story’s setting and character actions alone lead to a morally satisfying conclusion.
4. Divine or Supernatural Poetic Justice: Occasionally, a higher power or a supernatural element intervenes to restore moral order, often used in myths, fairy tales, or fantasy narratives.

Each type serves to underscore the narrative’s moral or ethical message and provides closure to the story in a way that resonates with the reader’s sense of justice.

Poetic Justice in Literature

Poetic justice is a classic device in literature, often serving as the backbone for the resolution of conflict. Some famous examples include:

1. “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare: Macbeth’s usurpation of the Scottish throne through murder and treachery ultimately leads to his own death at the hands of Macduff, reflecting the justice deserved for his crimes.
2. “Les Misérables” by Victor Hugo: Inspector Javert’s lifelong pursuit of Jean Valjean for breaking parole ends in Javert’s own realization of the complexity of law and morality, leading to his suicide.
3. “The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexandre Dumas: Edmond Dantès, unjustly imprisoned, escapes and uses his newfound wealth and influence to exact revenge on those who wronged him, ensuring each conspirator faces a fate fitting their treachery.
4. “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens: The cruel and arrogant aristocrats, represented by the Evrémonde family, eventually face dire consequences through the revolutionary forces in France, epitomizing poetic justice.

These works illustrate how authors use poetic justice to deliver moral verdicts within the narrative structure, often leading to memorable and satisfying conclusions.

Poetic Justice in Children’s Books

Children’s books frequently employ poetic justice to teach morals and ethical lessons. Some notable examples include:

1. “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” by Beatrix Potter: Peter Rabbit disobeys his mother’s warnings and sneaks into Mr. McGregor’s garden. After various misadventures, he ends up sick in bed as a consequence, learning a lesson about obedience and caution.
2. “The Tortoise and the Hare” by Aesop: In this classic fable, the arrogant hare loses a race to the slow and steady tortoise, illustrating that boastfulness and overconfidence can lead to one’s downfall.
3. “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl: Each child who wins a visit to Willy Wonka’s factory faces consequences directly tied to their personality flaws, like Augustus Gloop’s greed leading him into the chocolate river.

These stories use simple yet effective instances of poetic justice to communicate clear lessons about behavior and consequences to young readers.

Poetic Justice in Poetry

Poetic justice is also evident in poetry, where it often serves to underline the moral or thematic elements of a poem. Some famous examples include:

1. “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley: The poem describes the inevitable decline of all tyrants, with the once-mighty king Ozymandias’ statue lying shattered and eroded in the desert, symbolizing the transient nature of power and human pride.
2. “The Ballad of Reading Gaol” by Oscar Wilde: This poem narrates the harsh realities of prison life and concludes with the poetic justice of the soul being judged by God rather than by human laws, reflecting Wilde’s views on justice and morality.
3. “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge: The mariner’s thoughtless killing of the albatross brings dire consequences upon himself and his crew, eventually leading to his redemption through suffering and penance.

These examples showcase how poets use poetic justice to enrich their poetic narratives, often highlighting deeper truths about human nature and morality.

Poetic Justice in Songs

Songs often use poetic justice to tell stories or make points about life and morality. Here are 10 famous examples where poetic justice is evident in the lyrics:

1. “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood – A woman takes revenge on her cheating partner by vandalizing his prized truck, ensuring he thinks twice before cheating again.
2. “The Man Who Couldn’t Cry” by Johnny Cash – Without shedding a tear, the protagonist faces a series of unfortunate events, and his inability to cry doesn’t excuse him from the consequences.
3. “Stan” by Eminem – The titular character’s obsession with Eminem leads to his self-destruction, illustrating the dangers of fanaticism and celebrity worship.
4. “Luka” by Suzanne Vega – The song subtly discusses the consequences of domestic abuse, portraying the victim’s perspective in a way that highlights the need for awareness and intervention.
5. “Jeremy” by Pearl Jam – Based on a true story, this song discusses the tragic outcome of bullying and neglect, culminating in a dramatic and violent act.
6. “Goodbye Earl” by The Dixie Chicks – The song tells the story of friends taking lethal revenge on an abusive husband, resulting in a darkly comedic form of poetic justice.
7. “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)” by Aerosmith – This song turns the tables on a man who sneers at cross-dressers, only to find himself attracted to one, challenging gender norms and prejudices.
8. “Karma Police” by Radiohead – This song serves as a warning to those who exploit others, suggesting that their actions will eventually catch up with them.
9. “Janie’s Got a Gun” by Aerosmith – Another song where dire consequences meet a perpetrator, as Janie takes revenge against her abusive father.
10. “No Good Deed” from Wicked – In this song, a character’s good intentions are misunderstood and vilified, illustrating that not all poetic justice is rewarding.

Poetic Justice in Movies

Movies frequently utilize poetic justice to deliver satisfying conclusions to their stories. Here are several famous examples:

1. “The Shawshank Redemption” – Andy Dufresne’s escape and subsequent revelation of the warden’s corruption serve as poetic justice against his wrongful imprisonment.
2. “Gladiator” – Maximus avenges his family’s death and his own betrayal by defeating Commodus in the Colosseum, restoring honor and peace to Rome.
3. “Kill Bill” – The Bride’s quest for vengeance against those who wronged her culminates in a series of confrontations where each character meets a fate corresponding to their actions.
4. “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” – Sweeney Todd uses his barber shop as a means to exact revenge on those who destroyed his life, though he too falls victim to his own vengeful plot.
5. “Se7en” – The serial killer John Doe enacts the sin of envy on himself, completing his macabre plan but ultimately facing justice through his own design.

Famous Movie Line Highlighting Poetic Justice

“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist. And like that, he’s gone.” – The Usual Suspects

This line reflects the poetic justice of Keyser Söze’s character, who manipulates everyone to believe he is a weak and unimportant figure, only to reveal his true power and escape without consequence.

YouTube Link of Poetic Justice in Movies

Search for the climax scene from “The Shawshank Redemption,” where Andy Dufresne escapes prison. It’s a quintessential moment of poetic justice.

Poetic Justice in Advertising

In advertising, poetic justice can be a powerful tool to make memorable points about products or behaviors:

1. Volkswagen’s “Speed Camera Lottery” Campaign – Drivers adhering to speed limits were entered into a lottery to win money from fines paid by speeders, directly rewarding good behavior.
2. Allstate’s “Mayhem” Commercials – Mayhem, personified as a character, causes destruction that could have been avoided with Allstate insurance, implying that bad decisions in insurance lead to dire consequences.
3. DirecTV’s series of “Cable Effects” Commercials – These ads humorously show a chain of events leading to unfortunate outcomes caused by choosing cable over DirecTV, suggesting that poor choices have fitting repercussions.

Poetic Justice Related Literary Devices

There are several literary devices related to poetic justice, which help in enriching a narrative or conveying deeper messages:

1. Irony – Often, poetic justice relies on irony, where the outcome is the opposite of what is expected, highlighting the justice served.
2. Nemesis – A form of poetic justice where a protagonist’s downfall is directly caused by their own hubris or wrongdoing.
3. Catharsis – This is the emotional release audiences feel when poetic justice resolves the tension of a narrative, providing relief and satisfaction.
4. Moral Instruction – Many stories with poetic justice inherently teach a lesson about right and wrong, guiding societal or individual behavior.
5. Karma – This concept, though more philosophical, parallels poetic justice in literature, emphasizing that every action has a corresponding reaction.

These devices are integral to storytelling, offering structured ways to explore themes of morality, consequence, and human behavior.