Forgiveness: Difference between revisions

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{{quote|''"To err is human, to forgive, divine."''|'''Alexander Pope''', ''An Essay on Criticism''}}

Forgiveness is perhaps the hardest thing anyone can do, because the things that truly need forgiving are usually those that hurt the deepest. Then again, has the offender really earned forgiveness? Do they have to? Or is forgiveness for such a sin even possible? Is there such a thing as an [[This Is Unforgivable|unforgivable sin?]] And just to complicate things further, who's to say forgiveness is a good thing in this situation, or ''at all?''

Forgiveness is perhaps the hardest thing anyone can do, because the things that truly need forgiving are usually those that hurt the deepest. Then again, has the offender really earned forgiveness? Do they have to? Or is forgiveness for such a sin even possible? Is there such a thing as an [[This Is Unforgivable!|unforgivable sin?]] And just to complicate things further, who's to say forgiveness is a good thing in this situation, or ''at all?''

So it is that this cornerstone [[An Aesop|Aesop]] causes a lot of problems to all involved. Storyteller included.

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=== The typical aesop is as follows: ===

# Any character with a legitimate grievance who wants [[Revenge]] shouldn't exact it. It just perpetuates the [[Cycle of Revenge]] and makes them into monsters as bad as their targets. To get true emotional closure, they should forgive the offender.

# They shouldn't take revenge... but if they do, it doesn't make them monsters, and is in fact perfectly fine and justified method of gaining Justice. Usually, this story has [[Anti Hero|Anti Heroes]] or a [[Complete Monster]] of a bad guy.

# They shouldn't take revenge... but if they do, it doesn't make them monsters, and is in fact perfectly fine and justified method of gaining Justice. Usually, this story has [[Anti-Hero|Anti Heroes]] or a [[Complete Monster]] of a bad guy.

# They not only can, but ''should'' take revenge. It will not only give them emotional closure, but will be a long overdue public service since the offender is seriously messed up. Besides, the set up for this isn't one of an "escalating" cycle a la [[The Punisher]], but a single, one off deal that may even end it.

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* Not taking revenge empowers the offending party (the proposed target of said revenge), and the offender will come back again and again, knowing they won't suffer any repercussions for their actions.

Of course, a story pushing the most idealist of these by having the hero forgive and pardon the trespasser commonly has said trespasser indignantly refuse the forgiveness and outstretched hand with treachery. This being fiction, the [[Laser Guided Karma]] from spurning their generosity results in them [[Always a Bigger Fish|getting eaten by a bigger fish]], shot/stabbed by the hero or a less forgiving companion who was on their guard, or simply [[Self Disposing Villain|choosing to die]] rather than live with the wounded [[Pride]] of [[Ungrateful Bastard|having accepted their help.]] Which, perhaps [[Irony|ironically]], makes their death morally justifiable self defense and makes the aesop more like "[[Unfortunate Implications|if you forgive, expect betrayal]], so [[Broken Aesop|don't bother]]."

Of course, a story pushing the most idealist of these by having the hero forgive and pardon the trespasser commonly has said trespasser indignantly refuse the forgiveness and outstretched hand with treachery. This being fiction, the [[Laser-Guided Karma]] from spurning their generosity results in them [[Always a Bigger Fish|getting eaten by a bigger fish]], shot/stabbed by the hero or a less forgiving companion who was on their guard, or simply [[Self Disposing Villain|choosing to die]] rather than live with the wounded [[Pride]] of [[Ungrateful Bastard|having accepted their help.]] Which, perhaps [[Irony|ironically]], makes their death morally justifiable self defense and makes the aesop more like "[[Unfortunate Implications|if you forgive, expect betrayal]], so [[Broken Aesop|don't bother]]."

Then again, it's not uncommon for sadistic heroes to "forgive" the bad guy with a [[Cruel Mercy]] that makes it impossible to harm anyone ever again.

See also: [[Easily Forgiven]], [[Forgiveness Requires Death]], [[Cuteness Equals Forgiveness]], and [[This Is Unforgivable]].

See also: [[Easily Forgiven]], [[Forgiveness Requires Death]], [[Cuteness Equals Forgiveness]], and [[This Is Unforgivable!]].

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

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** His long time science assistant Emil Hamilton started out as a villain and attacked Superman. It helps though that he was basically a nutty scientist pushed over the edge by corporate double-dealing ala Luthor. He was clearly from the beginning the sort of criminal that could be rehabilitated.

*** Sadly, Hamilton fell into villainy again due to a combination of feeling sidelined as Superman sought aid from other science-minded heroes like Steel and forming a crazy theory that Superman was draining the Sun of energy and bring about the end of life on Earth...4.5 billion years later.

* Reed Richards of the [[Fantastic Four]] still doesn't really hate Doom (who has tried to kill him a hundred or so times and is constantly making his life hell), mostly feeling miserable and guilty about being the reason for Doom's turn to villainy, even though it wasn't his fault at all. On more than one occasion, a fight between the two has degenerated into Reed begging Doom to reform, and Sue once baldly told Doom that Reed is incapable of holding a grudge, in contrast to Doom, whose entire existence is based around his seething [[Green Eyed Monster|jealous]] grudge against Reed.

* Reed Richards of the [[Fantastic Four]] still doesn't really hate Doom (who has tried to kill him a hundred or so times and is constantly making his life hell), mostly feeling miserable and guilty about being the reason for Doom's turn to villainy, even though it wasn't his fault at all. On more than one occasion, a fight between the two has degenerated into Reed begging Doom to reform, and Sue once baldly told Doom that Reed is incapable of holding a grudge, in contrast to Doom, whose entire existence is based around his seething [[Green-Eyed Monster|jealous]] grudge against Reed.

== Film ==

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* ''[[Harry Potter]]'': this is Dumbledore's specialty. Other characters even accuse him of being too willing to forgive. Justified by his backstory revealed in ''[[Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows]]''.

** The ''Harry Potter'' series in general has a strong [[Power of Love]] and forgiveness [[Aesop]]. There's Snape spying for Dumbledore {{spoiler|because he was in love with Lily Evans}}, Narcissa Malfoy {{spoiler|lying to Voldemort to protect Draco}}, Regulus Black {{spoiler|trying to destroy a horcrux}}, Kreacher {{spoiler|changing his allegiance when he found out what Regulus did}}, Percy Weasley {{spoiler|realizing the Ministry was corrupt and reuiniting with his family}} ... just about every antagonist that was more than just a [[Mook]] did some form of [[Heel Face Turn]], aside from the [[Complete Monster|Complete Monsters]].

* ''[[Someone ~~Elses~~ War (Literature)|Someone Elses War]]'': A Muslim boy living in a landlocked country where Christian extremists reign supreme. He loses his entire family and most of his friends to the war. And still he learns how to forgive the people who took them away.

* ''[[Someone Else's War (Literature)|Someone Elses War]]'': A Muslim boy living in a landlocked country where Christian extremists reign supreme. He loses his entire family and most of his friends to the war. And still he learns how to forgive the people who took them away.

== [[Live Action TV]] ==

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[[Category:Stock Aesops]]

[[Category:Forgiveness]]

[[Category:Trope]]

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