How do you respond to misfortune?

In Shakespeare's plays there are numerous accounts of situations and events where various characters respond to misfortune. How they respond to this misfortune is, I argue, the basis for the unfolding drama. To give a few examples: the indecisiveness of Hamlet in response to his father's murder; the forgiveness of Cordelia in response to her banishment by her father; the retributive response by Othello in the face of his perceived account of Desdemona's 'infidelity'. My PhD is examining how Shakespeare takes up Plato's challenge to imitative poets that they provide not only pleasure, but a benefit to society. Plato was concerned that an audience would get too emotinally involved in the drama on stage, and encourage them to react in the same way in their own private lives. Shakespeare, I argue was alert to this, and never let his audience get too invloved with his drama. He did this through various distancing techniques such as direct address, introducing clowns and fools, comic scenes in the middle of tragedies, and various asides etc. Plato saw that the best way to react in the face of misfortune was to act with as much equanimity as possible on the grounds that the nature of good and evil is not apparent . . . and besides, nothing in human affairs is worth much seriousness. I argue that Shakespeare saw his drama as a way of conveying this Platonic response to misfortune. My question to you all out there is: how do you respond to misfortune in your own lives? Misfortune can include personal attacks upon yourself; betrayal by friends; getting cut off on the road; having your property stolen or damaged; a member of your family run over by a speeding or drunk driver; and any number of other such events. Would you retaliate; seek justice; withdraw your friendship; fall into depression; move on; forgive; or see it as nothing at all? I'm very interested to hear your responses. I would welcome any replies to my email address, if you do not wish to post it on this forum. I would like to use any replies for my PhD research. Thank you.