poetical justice

English

Etymology

From poetical +‎ justice, coined by the English literary critic Thomas Rymer (c. 1643 – 1713) in the work The Tragedies of the Last Age Consider’d and Examin’d (1678): see the quotation.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pəʊˌɛtɪkl̩ ˈd͡ʒʌstɪs/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /poʊˌɛtɪk(ə)l ˈd͡ʒʌstɪs/, [-ɾɪk-]
• Hyphenation: po‧et‧ic‧al jus‧tice

Noun

poetical justice (uncountable)

1. (narratology) The idea that in a literary work such as a poem, virtue should be rewarded and vice punished.

   Synonym: poetic justice

   • 1678, Thomas Rymer, “The Tragedy of Rollo Duke of Normandy”, in The Tragedies of the Last Age Consider’d and Examin‘d […], London: […] Richard Tonson […], →OCLC, page 26:

     For though historical Juſtice might reſt there; yet poetical Juſtice could not be ſo content. It vvould require that the ſatisfaction be compleat and full, e're the Malefactor goes off the Stage, and nothing left to God Almighty, and another VVorld.

2. (by extension, generally) Synonym of poetic justice (“the fact of someone experiencing what they deserve for their actions, especially when this happens in an ironic manner”)

Translations

idea that in a literary work such as a poem, virtue should be rewarded and vice punished

• Finnish: runollinen oikeudenmukaisuus
• Macedonian: please add this translation if you can

synonym of poetic justice — see poetic justice

Further reading

• poetic justice on Wikipedia.Wikipedia