조선후기 시문 속 여성 복수(復讐)의 윤리적 정당화 = Ethical Justifications of Female Vengeance in the Late Chosŏn Literature

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This paper examines the transformation of female independence and ethical discourse in late Chosŏn literature, analyzing how female acts of vengeance were justified through ethical processes. In the early Chosŏn period, literary representations of female vengeance were rare. In contrast, during the late Chosŏn period, acts of female vengeance—often motivated by the desire to avenge family members or restore personal honor—were acknowledged as ethical actions and publicized in literature. As ideological texts and legal codes displayed contradictory concepts of "righteous murder" versus "arbitrary murder," some acts of revenge were recognized as righteous killings and even praised nationally, leading to active literary discussion. Some late Chosŏn literati sought to justify female vengeance within the Confucian framework of filial duty and upright virtue, rather than dismissing it as a sudden outburst of emotion. For example, Kim Ch'angchip and Sŏ Chongt'ae evaluated female vengeance as heroic actions with educational significance. In "Ch'oehonginyŏjŏn" [The Biography of the Two Women, Ch'oe and Hong], Yunjidang Imssi emphasized the ethical determination of the female subject’s inner will, rather than connecting it to national ideals such as "the great righteousness of Chunqiu" or "wiping away disgrace." Yi Ik argued that the government should be responsible for enacting justice by proxy. Regarding the case of Pak Hyorang, Yi extended a personal act of vengeance into the public domain through the fictional narrative of Pak Munrang, whose revenge was justified within the ethical framework of the public—contrasting with the historical reality that Pak Munrang was punished by law. In these narratives, female vengeance was portrayed as an act of chivalry, and the active agency of the female subject was magnified. Works such as Yu Hŭi's "Tohyŏpsŏ" and the "Kimŭnaejŏn" by Sŏng Haeŭng and Yi Tŏkmu highlighted cases where women took active revenge to defend their fidelity or counter slander, emphasizing female dignity and independence. These depictions are distinct from traditional narratives of righteous women who sacrificed their lives to maintain fidelity. While Yi Tŏkmu's "Kimŭnaejŏn" emphasized political edification for the sovereign, Sŏng Haeŭng’s version used fictional narrative to portray Kim Ŭnae as a paragon of female chivalry, showing the inevitable circumstances under which a woman became a chivalric figure to prove her personal worth. The stories of female vengeance in the late Chosŏn period illustrate the process by which ethical decision-making and action by female subjects were incorporated into broader ethical discourse. These narratives redefined female vengeance not as a momentary emotional outburst but as an ethically reasoned decision. In them, acts of revenge were justified not only for the death of a husband or father but also for violations of a woman's fidelity or slander against her character. Together, they represent a literary sign of the evolving concept of female independence and the emergence of a novel view of womanhood in late Chosŏn literature and society.