The expression “revenge is sweet” appears so frequently that you might think the cliché is true, but the nature of revenge is much more complex and can leave more bitterness in its wake. The cyclical nature of revenge and man's inhumanity to man means that it has a propensity to escalate and devastate people in its wake, including the perpetrator. Gabriel García Márquez's Chronicle of a Death Foretold and Isabel Allende's The House of the Spirits examine the theme of the nature of revenge through the presence and significance of prominent characters seeking revenge in both Latin American novels. When family and personal honor becomes tainted, the consequences intensify. in a serious threat arising from the nature of revenge that is formed to protect a principle. To save the family's honor, which the city considers of the utmost importance, the Vicario brothers seek revenge on Santiago Nasar. Pablo Vicario's girlfriend, Prudencia Cotes, “knew what they were doing […] and [she] not only agreed, [she] would never have married [Pablo] if he hadn't done what a man should do” (García Marquez 62). The quote characterizes not only Prudencia as unsympathetic, but also much of the town, whose indifference stems in part from the belief that men have a duty to protect women from disgrace. The questionable protagonist of the House of Spirits, Esteban Trueba, tries to save his daughter from what he considers a misfortune in a similar way: murder. Time passes “since the fateful day when Trueba made him pay with an ax for his daughter's virginity. Pedro Tercero remembered him as an angry giant” (Allende 360). The simile comparing Trueba to a giant underlines the lasting impact the meeting has on Pedro Tercero. Both tales of vengeful… middle of paper… seek to put an end to this by destroying the metaphorical chain of revenge. The Vicario brothers in Gabriel García Márquez's Chronicle of a Death Foretold and Esteban Trueba in Isabel Allende's The House of the Spirits is a great example of how revenge is not a sweet relief, but rather a bitter burden. Even if it is intended to protect personal morals and values, the act of turning anger into violence will never be satisfying. The deep understanding between the narrator of Chronicle of a Death Foretold and Alba gives hope that the future will not be rotten by the illogical thought that revenge is sweet because in reality it becomes bitter in the end. Works Cited Allende, Isabel. The House of Spirits. New York, NY: Random House, Inc., 1985. Print. García Márquez, Gabriel. Chronicle of a death foretold. New York, NY: Vintage International, 1981. Print.