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Love and revenge are two emotions that reveal the complexity of human nature. Across literature, art, and media, they show how passion can inspire both healing and destruction. This Linked Text Set encourages students to explore how creators portray love and revenge as interconnected forces that shape choices, consequences, and our understanding of justice, forgiveness, and empathy.

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I selected these essential questions to deepen student inquiry into emotional motivation, moral complexity, and character decision-making. Love and revenge are not only central motifs in literature and media, but also reflect real human tension between compassion, justice, and hurt. Stories of vengeance and devotion often reflect society’s structures of power and justice, enabling students to examine the interplay between character motivation and broader societal expectations. This Linked Text Set supports critical thinking, empathy, and cross-media analysis. In a classroom, these questions will help students move beyond plot toward interpretation, character growth, and connection to real lives.

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How do stories of love and revenge reflect society’s ideas about power, control, and justice?

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In what ways do characters use love or revenge to reclaim a sense of agency?

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Wuthering Heights is Emily Brontë's Gothic novel about the tempestuous, destructive love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, an orphan adopted by Catherine's father. The story follows their obsessive connection and Heathcliff's bitter revenge against those who wronged him after Catherine chooses to marry the wealthier Edgar Linton.

This text connects to EQ1 because it explores how social hierarchies and family power influence love and revenge, and to EQ2 as Heathcliff uses revenge to reclaim personal agency.

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The Count of Monte Cristo is Alexandre Dumas’s novel about Edmond Dantès, a young sailor who is falsely imprisoned and stripped of his future. His love for justice and the betrayal he suffers propel him into a carefully orchestrated path of revenge against those who wronged him.

This text connects to EQ1 by exploring how betrayal and revenge reflect social and moral corruption. It connects to EQ2 because Dantès channels his anger and pain into actions that help him take back control over his life.

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Long Way Down is Jason Reynolds’s verse novel following Will, a teen who contemplates avenging his brother’s death. Will’s love for his brother motivates his desire for revenge, forcing him to confront the consequences of violence.

This text connects to EQ1 by reflecting societal cycles of violence, and to EQ2 as Will struggles to assert his own agency when deciding whether to pursue revenge.

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Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeare’s tragedy about two young lovers from feuding families. Their love exists alongside cycles of retaliation, where revenge escalates conflict and shapes their tragic choices.

This text connects to EQ1 because it shows how family expectations and social pressure can turn love into tragedy. It connects to EQ2 as the characters try to make choices that assert their agency despite the constraints around them.

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The Last of Us Part One follows Joel and Ellie in a post-apocalyptic world, forming a bond through love, trust, and shared survival. Joel’s protective love for Ellie drives morally complex decisions, including acts that could be seen as personal vengeance.

This connects to EQ1 because it shows how love can lead people to break moral rules and act violently in order to protect others. It connects to EQ2 as Joel uses revenge to assert agency and take control over a situation where he otherwise feels powerless.

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Set years after the first game, Ellie’s world is shattered when someone she loves is brutally killed. Driven by grief and rage, she embarks on a journey of revenge against those responsible. As she hunts them down, her love and hatred begin to blur, showing how the desire for vengeance can twist even the deepest bonds of love.

This connects to EQ1 because it shows how personal loss and the desire for revenge can influence how people respond to injustice in a broken world. It connects to EQ2 by showing how Ellie’s choices, though painful and morally complicated, are her way of trying to take control of her life and assert agency after a devastating loss.

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Gladiator tells the story of Maximus, a Roman general whose family is murdered by a corrupt emperor. Driven by love for his family and a desire for revenge, Maximus fights his way through betrayal and political intrigue to confront those responsible.

This movie connects to EQ1 because it shows how personal loss and revenge are tied to power and justice in a corrupt society. It connects to EQ2 as Maximus uses his quest for vengeance to reclaim agency and assert control over a world that tried to take everything from him.

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Revenge of the Sith follows Anakin Skywalker as fear, love, and the promise of saving those he cares about drive him to betray the Jedi and embrace the Dark Side. His pursuit of “justice” for perceived wrongs intertwines with obsession and vengeance.

This movie connects to EQ1 because it illustrates how love and fear can be manipulated to justify harmful actions and power grabs. It connects to EQ2 as Anakin attempts to reclaim agency over his life and loved ones, even as his choices lead him down a destructive path.

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This song portrays intense feelings of anger and hurt after a breakup, with the singer channeling her emotions into a passionate and defiant expression of revenge.

This song connects to EQ1 because it shows how love and betrayal can provoke intense, sometimes destructive, responses. It connects to EQ2 as the singer asserts control over her narrative and emotions, reclaiming agency in the aftermath of betrayal.

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This song highlights resilience and empowerment after betrayal.

This song connects to EQ1 by exploring how love and betrayal affect personal resilience and power dynamics. It connects to EQ2 as the singer reclaims agency by refusing to be defined or controlled by past hurt.

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“Saturn Devouring His Son” – Francisco Goya

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“Saturn Devouring His Son” – Francisco Goya

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This dark painting depicts Saturn consuming one of his children, symbolizing destructive power, fear, and the extremes of control within familial relationships.

This piece connects to EQ1 by showing how love, jealousy, and power can lead to violent and destructive acts. It connects to EQ2 as it portrays the struggle for agency in extreme emotional and societal circumstances.

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Gentileschi’s painting depicts Lucretia at the moment she takes her own life after being violated, highlighting themes of honor, betrayal, and personal justice. The artwork captures her courage, grief, and the intense emotions surrounding love and vengeance.

This piece connects to EQ1 because it explores how personal betrayal and societal expectations about honor can drive extreme responses. It connects to EQ2 as Lucretia asserts agency over her own fate in a situation where her power is severely constrained.

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Kratos and his son Atreus navigate the consequences of past violence and vengeance against the gods. The game explores how love for family drives revenge, and how revenge shapes moral choices.

This text connects to EQ1 by showing how revenge is intertwined with familial love and societal expectations of power. It connects to EQ2 as Kratos and Atreus exercise agency by confronting enemies and making choices that affect their lives and relationships.

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The Corleone family navigates love, loyalty, and revenge as Michael Corleone takes over the family business after betrayal and violence against his father. Personal bonds fuel acts of vengeance and power struggles.

This text connects to EQ1 because it illustrates how love for family and revenge reflect societal and moral codes around power. It connects to EQ2 as Michael asserts agency by choosing vengeance and strategic control over his family’s fate.

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The Crow follows Eric Draven, who is resurrected after he and his fiancée are brutally murdered. Driven by love for his fiancée and the desire for vengeance, he hunts down those responsible, balancing grief, justice, and rage.

This text connects to EQ1 because it shows how love and revenge interact with ideas of justice and morality in a corrupt society. It connects to EQ2 as Eric asserts agency by taking action to right the wrongs done to him and his loved one.