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- Related Topics:
- tragedy
- literature
- Poetry
- Justice
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poetic justice
literature
Also known as: poetical justice
poetic justice, in literature, an outcome in which vice is punished and virtue rewarded, usually in a manner peculiarly or ironically appropriate. The term was coined by the English literary critic Thomas Rymer in the 17th century, when it was believed that a work of literature should uphold moral principles and instruct the reader in correct moral behaviour.
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