RETRIBUTION TO REDEMPTION: A MOMENTOUS LITERARY JOURNEY (Pages 29-44) by Dr. M. V. Ramana Moorthy* and Smt. N. V. Siva Kumari** in THE ENGLISH INDIA / ISSN: 2321-1172 (Online); 2347-2634 (Print)

Retribution and redemption have been two dominant themes that have attracted the literary critic and the general reader over the last three centuries. The drama and the novel are the genres which have been in the limelight and theme and characterization are the tools employed. There are three stages in the transition with a few variants like self-retribution, divine retribution, self-abnegation and self-atonement. This article attempts to present how these tragic themes are dealt with by writers from different languages, cultures and milieus ranging from the Romantic age to the post-modern periodetribution and redemption have been two dominant themes that have attracted the literary critic and the general reader over the last three centuries. The drama and the novel are the genres which have been in the limelight and theme and characterization are the tools employed. There are three stages in the transition with a few variants like self-retribution, divine retribution, self-abnegation and self-atonement. This article attempts to present how these tragic themes are dealt with by writers from different languages, cultures and milieus ranging from the Romantic age to the post-modern periodKeywords: Retribution, redemption, self-abnegation, Self-atonement, milieu, Romantic age, Post-modern period etc.