persecute (verb)

1. In the children's cartoon, the villain would constantly persecute the protagonist, causing them to suffer.

2. In the classic novel, the author illustrates the contrasting fates of two characters, where one is persecuted and the other is not, highlighting the theme of suffering caused by persecution.

3. In Greek mythology, Prometheus was persecuted by Zeus for stealing fire from the gods and as a punishment, he was chained to a rock and had his liver pecked out by an eagle every day.

4. In the superhero comic series, the main villain consistently persecutes innocent civilians, causing them to suffer and creating a need for the hero to intervene.