What Would Bacon Say?
Luke Hunter
English 1270
Macomb Community College
Prof. Cal Goossen
11 March 2011
WWBS: What Would Bacon Say? Justice, at what costs should it come? Revenge, is it really that sweet? Justice is a civilized action or way of making someone accountable for their wrongful actions, and leaves it at that. Revenge is a selfish action that brings a person’s personal justice to one’s wrong-doer, where it can spiral into an uncontrolled cycle. Both bring consequences to one’s actions, and yet they are one in the same. According to Francis Bacon, the Colonel set up his own justice for his people through revenge. Justice is actually only mentioned once in his essay, and that is just in the first line: “Revenge is a kind of wild justice,” (597) this statement shows that revenge and justice are one in the same. They both describe each other, saying that revenge is justice. It is viewed mainly as opposites because of the content at which people think of them. When justice is thought of usually people begin to think about courts, lawyers, judges, that sort of picture. Whereas this is not the case, now law on the other hand fits a bit better. Laws are the actual rules or guidelines that must be followed or if not followed justice will take place. Revenge on the other hand is viewed as a dark, devious, sneaky way of getting back at someone for doing something wrong to a person. Justice/Law is a civilized, organized, and non-personal way to handle matters. So stating that revenge is a wild justice it shows that revenge is not civilized, it is more of a primitive and non-productive way to handle a situation. It is more of a personal, greedy way of handling a situation; taking a situation into their own hands. Yet when situations become to a certain personal point people believe that revenge is acceptable justice. According to Bacon this is not true. He states that taking revenge and becoming even with someone is not productive and wise, “Certainly in taking revenge, a
English 1270
Macomb Community College
Prof. Cal Goossen
11 March 2011
WWBS: What Would Bacon Say? Justice, at what costs should it come? Revenge, is it really that sweet? Justice is a civilized action or way of making someone accountable for their wrongful actions, and leaves it at that. Revenge is a selfish action that brings a person’s personal justice to one’s wrong-doer, where it can spiral into an uncontrolled cycle. Both bring consequences to one’s actions, and yet they are one in the same. According to Francis Bacon, the Colonel set up his own justice for his people through revenge. Justice is actually only mentioned once in his essay, and that is just in the first line: “Revenge is a kind of wild justice,” (597) this statement shows that revenge and justice are one in the same. They both describe each other, saying that revenge is justice. It is viewed mainly as opposites because of the content at which people think of them. When justice is thought of usually people begin to think about courts, lawyers, judges, that sort of picture. Whereas this is not the case, now law on the other hand fits a bit better. Laws are the actual rules or guidelines that must be followed or if not followed justice will take place. Revenge on the other hand is viewed as a dark, devious, sneaky way of getting back at someone for doing something wrong to a person. Justice/Law is a civilized, organized, and non-personal way to handle matters. So stating that revenge is a wild justice it shows that revenge is not civilized, it is more of a primitive and non-productive way to handle a situation. It is more of a personal, greedy way of handling a situation; taking a situation into their own hands. Yet when situations become to a certain personal point people believe that revenge is acceptable justice. According to Bacon this is not true. He states that taking revenge and becoming even with someone is not productive and wise, “Certainly in taking revenge, a
Cited: Bacon, Francis. “Of Revenge.” In Missy James and Alan Merickel, Reading Liturature and Writing Argument. 4th Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall 2011: 597. Carolyn, Forche. “The Colonel.” Reading Literature and Writing Argument: 581-582.