The word "retaliate" in literature has been employed in a variety of nuanced ways, adapting to both satirical and serious contexts. In some cases, authors use it ironically to criticize societal norms, as when an assortment of absurd sartorial choices is humorously portrayed as a form of retribution [1]. In contrast, classic narratives like Wharton’s and Dickens’ employ "retaliate" to denote justified and measured responses to personal or moral wrongs, emphasizing a gradual balancing of scales [2, 3]. Meanwhile, in the darker and more intense realms of emotion and conflict—as seen in Brontë’s works—the term is interwoven with themes of passion and even lethal consequences, hinting at the extremes of retribution [4, 5]. Additionally, classical texts such as those by Xenophon and Plato invoke "retaliate" within a broader, more strategic framework, where the term connotes not only personal vengeance but also communal or mythic resistance against adversaries [6, 7, 8, 9]. This range of applications illustrates how the concept of retaliatory action has evolved in literature from a simple act of revenge to a complex interplay of social and moral judgment.