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Is there a way to compare the theme of revenge in Mibelungenlied with the theme of revenge in Kill Bill?

The simplest comparisons that can be made between these two sagas are the consistent threat of violence throughout the plot and the over-arching theme of revenge.


Within Kill Bill Vols. 1&2, the protagonist Beatrix Kiddo (aka The Bride and/or Black Mamba) seeks revenge against the titular Bill (aka Snake Charmer), her former lover and head of the assassination squad of which she was a member. Her quest begins after she awakens from a coma and seeks out her former comrades by any means necessary in order to draw closer to Bill himself. Kiddo finds and kills many of her former compatriots, severing any ties she had to her past as a professional killer. Revenge is her motivator, and thus allows her the closure she seeks.


The Nibelungenlied contains many instances of betrayal and revenge. Siegfried's many adventures allow him to obtain wealth and prestige that draw him to the side of Gunther. And though he aids King Gunther of Burgundy in wedding (and weakening) Queen Brunhilde, this begins his own downfall. It is Brunhilde that argues with Kriemhild (Siegfried's wife and Gunther's sister) and casts doubt on the future of Gunther's reign. Hagen, a vassal of Gunther, plots and later has Siegfried killed by utilizing the weak point on his back. Later, Kriemhild swears revenge for her late husband and through her marriage to Etzel, King of the Huns (a rough parallel to Attila), invites the Burgundians to Hungary for her own revenge, which has built since Siegfried's death. Due to Hagen's wariness and the tensions between the armies, a great struggle leads to the death of the Burgundians and Kriemhild later decapitates Hagen herself to end her quest for vengeance. 


Revenge in both stories is a powerful character motivation, but places each protagonist in immense danger throughout their journeys. Also, the revenge is taken up in large part by women thought to be weaker than their male counterparts. It can be interpreted that each is a tale of empowerment for the female characters within them, despite the pain and suffering inflicted upon them. Overall, it shows that the desire to have vengeance can bring one back from the brink of death and "balance the scales."

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