Vengeance, in arts, is probably a theme as recurring and as relevant as love. In social theory, however, the subject is pulverized, supporting several other ideas. This thesis tries to elevate revenge to a protagonist status also in social sciences: therefore, in the first place, it attempts to understand vengeance reading classical studies about reciprocity, contrasting positive (gifts) and negative (offenses) exchanges. Then, still observing social or cultural concepts — as honor, sacrifice and renounce, for example — we proceed trying to circumscribe vengeance between elements contemplated by anthropological theories. In a second moment, targeting literature, there will be a search for our avenging models; from the individual to society, bringing some classical characters to the center of the stage, some representations of revenge will be analyzed in accordance with the theoretical models previously appointed. Finally, the third and last part is devoted to the Brazilian case: using our backlands as a frame, understanding differences between country and litoral, exploring the sociocultural particularities mainly based on honor and violence, as elements that sustain social cohesion.