Rewarding good and punishing evil

Japanese: 勧善懲悪 - かんぜんちょうあく

To encourage and recommend good deeds and to reprimand and punish bad deeds.

[Example] Isn't it strange that he single-mindedly believes that the main focus of his novels and histories is to reward good and punish evil, and to inadvertently portray the human feelings that are his object of worship? [Shoyo Tsubouchi * The Essence of Novels | 1885-86]

[Example] After all, isn't a comic book just a pastime? Is it worth risking your life for? All the readers are just lying down and reading it to kill time. Rewarding good and punishing evil, a dramatic life, good guys and bad guys, heroes and heroes... that's enough. [Inoue Hisashi * Tecla Shinju | 1972]

[Example] The real Kumon knows very well that the world does not "reward good and punish evil" and that justice is not found in everyday life. [Sono Ayako * Garden of Cold Winds | 1976]

[Explanation] This is a theme often seen in old books, movies, and dramas. It literally means encouraging good and punishing evil.
A typical example would be a period drama from a long time ago, in which a character who is clearly a bad guy ends up suffering at the hands of the main character.
In Edo period literature, the works of Kyokutei Bakin are famous. camellia Chin Theory theory bow Yumi Zhang Acupuncture month Duki "Nansō Satomi Hakkenden" and "The Legend of the Eight Dogs of Nansō" are both stories in which justice prevails. In the example sentence, "Tesari Shinju," Bakin, who is depicted in the novel, says, "A story should be about rewarding good and punishing evil."
In the Meiji era, Shoyo Tsubouchi rejected the traditional idea of rewarding good and punishing evil and strongly criticized Bakin. Since then, works that simply divide things into good and evil have often been considered second-rate art.
In modern works, many complex characters who cannot be classified as either good or evil appear. However, on the other hand, simple heroes who punish evil are also popular. Perhaps somewhere in our hearts, we long for someone who will clearly tell us "what is wrong is wrong."

Source: Dictionary of Four-character Idioms About Dictionary of Four-character Idioms Information

Japanese:

善行を勧め励まし、悪行を戒め懲らすこと。勧懲。

[使用例] ひたすら勧善懲悪をば小説稗史の主眼とこころえ、彼の本尊たる人情をば疎漏に写すはをかしからずや［坪内逍遙＊小説神髄｜1885～86］

[使用例] しょせん、戯作は慰みものではないかね。命を張るだけの値打があるかい？　読者はみんな寝っころがって暇つぶしに読んでいるだけだぜ。勧善懲悪、波瀾万丈、善玉悪玉、豪傑英雄……それで充分だ［井上ひさし＊手鎖心中｜1972］

[使用例] 現実の公文は、この世に「勧善懲悪」が行われているわけでもなく、正義が日常生活の中にころがっているのでもないことをよくよく知っているのである［曾野綾子＊木枯しの庭｜1976］

[解説] 昔の読みものや映画、ドラマによく見られたテーマです。文字どおり、善を勧め、悪を懲らしめることです。
　典型的なのは一昔前の時代劇です。誰が見ても悪い人物が、最後には主人公によって痛い目にあいます。
　江戸時代の文学では、曲亭馬琴の作品が有名です。代表作「椿ちん説せつ弓ゆみ張はり月づき」「南総里見八犬伝」は、どちらも正義が勝つ話です。例文の［手鎖心中］では、小説に描かれた馬琴が、「物語というのは勧善懲悪でいいのだ」と語っています。
　明治時代になると、坪内逍遙がそれまでの勧善懲悪を否定し、馬琴を強く批判しました。それ以来、ものごとを善か悪かで分ける単純な作品は、二流の芸術とされることが多くなりました。
　現代の作品では、善とも悪とも言えない複雑な人物が多く登場します。でも、一方では、悪を懲らしめる単純なヒーローも人気です。私たちは心のどこかで、「だめなものはだめ」とはっきり言ってくれる存在を求めているのでしょう。

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