1. Poetic Justice
From: Literary Devices - Definition and Examples of Literary Terms

2. Definition of Poetic Justice
Poetic justice is an ideal form of justice
In which the good characters are rewarded and
The bad characters are punished by an ironic twist of their fate.
It is a strong literary view
That all forms of literature must convey moral lessons.
Therefore, writers employ poetic justice to conform to the moral principles.
For instance,
If a character in a novel is pitiless and malicious in most part of the novel.
His state has gone beyond improvement.
Then, the principles of morality demand this character to experience a twist in his fate and be punished.
Similarly, the one’s who have suffer at his hand must be rewarded at the same time.

3. Examples of Poetic Justice in Literature
Poetic justice is portrayed in the death of Macbeth himself. He who had caused the death of so many to gain the throne loses his life because he has gained that throne. In Act V Scene 8 Lines 32-40: "I will not yield/ To kiss the ground before young Malcolm's feet / And to be baited with the rabble's curse. / Though Birnham Wood be come to Dunsinane / And though opposed, being of no woman born, / Yet I will try the last. Before the body / I throw my warlkike shield. Lay on, Macduff, / And damned be him that first cries 'Hold! Enough!'"

4. Scar kills Mufasa to become king
Scar kills Mufasa to become king. He gets thrown out of the kingdom when Simba grows up and confronts him. Scar has to face the angry hyenas, who helped him kill Mufasa.

5. Jafar, the evil assistant to the king, gets to be a mighty genie, but he has to live in an itty bitty bottle, and be at the command of anyone who possesses the bottle. Jafar is so power hungry he fails to realize that becoming a genie will cost him his freedom.

6. Function of Poetic Justice
The purpose of poetic justice in literature
Is to adhere to the universal code of morality
The virtue triumphs vice.
Virtue deserves a reward and vices earn punishment.
The readers often identify themselves with the good characters.
They feel emotionally attached to them
Feel for them when they suffer at the hands of the wicked characters.
The readers desire for a compensation for the good characters and
Equally wish the bad characters be penalized for their evilness.
Poetic justice offers contentment to them.