Images of the idealized parent permeate the media, from advertisements to Hallmark cards and films; However, the stereotypical theme of the conventional parent is not always true due to the prevalence of parental abuse in modern society. For example, the US SPCC reported that "4.1 million cases of child abuse...and reports of child abuse involved 7.4 million children", highlighting the presence of parental violence . The debate over what constitutes violence and under what circumstances it is justifiable prevails today as individuals become desensitized to violence due to the media's normalization of aggression. Earl Hipp, who holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in psychophysiology, argues in his book Man-Making that in cases of parental abuse, "father injury" becomes a recurring situation that develops both in literature and in real life. “Father wounding” develops in young men from “an all-too-common story…of pathologically disengaged or abusive fathers” and often results in feelings of “masculine inadequacy” and an inability to emotionally cope with the trauma. In Beowulf, Grendel's mother exemplifies justified violence due to her fierce devotion to her child as she seeks revenge for Grendel's death and ends up dying in the process. In contrast, Sphocles' Three Theban Plays and Shakespeare's Hamlet depict unjustifiable parental violence through the selfish and cruel acts of parents towards their children. This essay will analyze how these texts demonstrate the complexity of how parenting blurs the conventional argument between the justification of right and wrong. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get the original essay In Kevin Crossley-Holland's translation of Beowulf, Grendel's mother represents the result of parental love and how parents blur the divide between acceptable and unacceptable violence. to avenge her child. Even though Grendel had tortured the Danes and Beowulf had killed him to avenge the individual Grendel murdered, his mother became "sad and ravenous, and she decided to undertake a difficult journey to avenge her son's death." , demonstrating a loving parent's willingness to engage in violence to such a degree that in the case of Grendel's mother, "she murdered...a man while he slept". Her love and devotion to her son was unending because she sought to "avenge her son whom Beowulf had savagely...with vice-like grips because Grendel had impoverished and killed...people." Grendel was so distressed and driven by the passion to "avenge her son, her only descendant", to the point that she died trying to kill her son. The relationship between mother and son in this epic shows justifiable violence because of how Grendel's mother loved him so passionately that she became violent in retaliation. Sophocles' Three Theban Plays depict many different parental relationships; however, many of them demonstrate a conflict-oriented relationship. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus's parents, Laius and Jocasta, "gave him away to be cast away" because of a horrible prophecy and sent him to be killed; however, he survives and fulfills the prophecy. This relationship highlights the effects of parental violence towards a child. The action of Oedipus' parents causes the disintegration of a healthy bond between the two parties and produces a curse that has anegative impact on the family for generations. The impact of Oedipus' parents dishonors him and leads the king to evaluate himself. Laius and Jocasta deprive Oedipus of a chance to lead a successful and happy life. In Antigone, the play focuses on one of Oedipus' daughters; However, the family relationship that this play examines most in depth is that between Antigone's fiancé, Haemon, and her father, Creon. The relationship is originally described as one of respect and admiration, but it quickly turns into anger and then complete conflict, breaking down the bond they shared. However, Creon does not seem to think that his son can support the woman he loves over his own father. However, kings are not defined by anyone, not even their son. In their violent argument, Creon declares: “What wound is deeper than a loved one turned against you? ” which focuses on the disappointment he feels as a father for his unsupportive son. Ultimately, Haemon commits suicide because of their disagreement and his loyalty to Antigone. His father discovers his own mistakes and declares: "not because of your stupidity, no, mine." In his wife's grief, she commits suicide, after losing a child she truly loved. The domino effect of deaths caused by Creon's stubborn nature highlights the horrific impact of parental violence towards their child. Shakespeare's Hamlet depicts the main character's spiral into madness following the turmoil caused by the death of his father. Hamlet was extremely close to his father, which influenced his inability to deal with the late king's death and allowed his father's spirit to appear to Hamlet and drive him to seek revenge. The spirit of the father compels Hamlet to “avenge his vile and most unnatural murder” in order to enable him to free himself from purgatory. By giving Hamlet this monumental decree of revenge, the ghost highlights parental violence towards his son because he does not allow him to cry and continue living, but forces him madly to continue his quest. Hamlet becomes blind seeing that he is heading towards the abyss and there is no way out due to his extreme devotion to his father. Hamlet's life in the illusory world, his aggression and desire for revenge, his panic, mania, psychological disorders and state of insanity are the result of a difficult family situation. Although literary cases of parental violence against a child are reprehensible, the prevalence and grotesque nature of the abuse, in reality, is indefensible because unlike in novels, real children cannot overcome the physical and mental consequences of abuse as easily. . In the Miller-Fowler child abuse case, “the parents of two allegedly neglected and malnourished twin girls were arrested in what Oklahoma doctors and police say is “the worst case of child abuse they have ever seen.” seen ". The nurses were caring for the twins. for an unspecified medical condition and noticed that both children were suffering from diaper rash and severe pressure sores, according to reports. Nurses also found feces in one child's ear while the other baby had a strand of hair wrapped tightly around one of her fingers; arrest reports say the baby's finger was infected and skin began to grow over the hair. According to arrest reports, a nurse saw a maggot on one of the girls. According to Sharon Perkins' article "What are the dangers of low weight in babies", "A baby whose development is delayed may be weak, susceptible to infections and may not reach developmental milestones such as sit, crawl or walk at a normal age… in cases..