A Song of Ice and Fire/Tropes S to Z: Difference between revisions

This page covers tropes found in ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]''. See also [[A Song of Ice and Fire/Tropes A To I]] and [[A Song of Ice and Fire/Tropes J To R]]. Subjective tropes and audience reactions go to the [[A Song of Ice and Fire/YMMV|YMMV page]].

 

* [[Sacred Hospitality]]: The laws of hospitality are considered very important in Westeros. The legend of the Rat King suggests that the gods will take vengeance on those who break them. Several characters specifically plan their aggressive actions so as not to break the laws of hospitality. Catelyn urges Robb to request bread and salt from a hostile host as soon as possible to ensure that his stay is safe. {{spoiler|The fact that guests were slaughtered in the Red Wedding makes the betrayal doubly outrageous in the eyes of Westeros.}}

* [[Sacrificial Lamb]]: Thus far {{spoiler|the POV character in the prologue or epilogue}} will, without exception, die. {{spoiler|Though Varamyr's spirit lives on in his wolf One-Eye.}}

* [[Scars Are Forever]]: All over the place, from facial wounds and pox scars to [[An Arm and a Leg]]. See [[Facial Horror]], [[Fingore]] and [[Red Right Hand]].

* [[Science Destroys Magic]]: Possibly the goal of some of the Maesters at the Citadel.

* [[Sdrawkcab Name]]:

** Alleras, who is most likely Sarella Sand in disguise.

** The sympathy one feels for Tyrion during his own chapters is such that we see the people of King's Landing as a bunch of prejudiced, short-sighted ingrates, and it is very easy to forget that he unleashed a load of thieving, raping barbarians and mercenaries loose on the various civilians of the city while securing his position.

** Subverted {{spoiler|and then [[Double Subverted]]}} in the case of Theon Greyjoy. His chapters in ''A Clash of Kings'' are so overloaded with arrogance, self-pity and unbelievable selfishness that most readers will hope that something truly horrible will happen to the smug git. {{spoiler|However, by the time of ''A Dance With Dragons'', when something truly horrible ''has'' happened to him, his chapters come across as so traumatised, scarred and just plain ''broken'' that he manages to become a woobie.}}

* [[Tactful Translation]]: Seen in the hilarious discussion between Dany and the Good Masters of Astapor when she goes to buy an Unsullied army. Subverted because Dany actually [[Completely Unnecessary Translator|understands everything she's been told]] and is struggling to keep a straight face at times.

* [[Tall, Dark and Snarky]]: Oberyn Martell. Jaime Lannister, in spite of being blonde.

* [[Two Aliases, One Character]]: Barristan Selmy as {{spoiler|Arstan Whitebeard}}; More than likely Jaqen H'ghar as/The Alchemist/Pate (after killing the real one); Likely Sarella Sand and Alleras.

* [[Tyke Bomb]]: The Unsullied are eunuch slaves trained from birth to be perfect warriors. Their horrific training is meant to strip them of all self-worth and individuality, turning them into soulless weapons. It doesn't quite work.

* [[Ugly Cute]]: An in-universe example, Brienne elicits sympathy from Catelyn (and from many readers) for the combination of her impossibly brutish looks and resolutely romantic outlook.

* [[Ugly Guy, Hot Wife]]: Robert and Cersei, after he lets himself go fat and bloated. Plain-faced Jorah and Lynesse, which fails because of his money rather than his looks. Plain-faced Ned and Catelyn, who manage to become [[Happily Married]]. Deformed Tyrion and {{spoiler|Sansa}}, which is a possible subversion of [[Give Geeks a Chance]]. Lysa felt this way about the old and onion-breathed Jon Arryn, though she ultimately lets herself go. Partly a reflection of the woes of women in this society. May explain the popularity of the rare reversal, {{spoiler|the Jaime/Brienne pairing}}.

** Euphemisms referencing the [[Big Bad]] "The Others take you!" and the [[Fantasy Pantheon]] "Seven Hells!" are fairly common.

* [[Used to Be a Sweet Kid]]: Catelyn has a number of flashbacks/reminiscences which suggest Littlefinger was this, although he was always pretty mischievous. Dany also recalls Viserys being a decent brother when she was very young, before he went insane from the pressure of his birth.

* [[Variant Chess]]: Cyvasse is a chess-variant with pieces like dragon, elephant, crossbow, trebuchet and mountain. The players align their pieces in a custom starting alignment before the beginning of the game, with a Battleships-style screen dividing the board so their opponent doesn't know their deployment until the game begins.

* [[Verbal Tic Name]]: Hodor.

* [[Voluntary Shapeshifting]]: {{spoiler|The Faceless Men can change their faces. They apparently do this with skin masks. Although the kindly man claims that it is not a glamour, Arya still feels her real face after he puts one on her, so it's ambiguous as to whether her face actually changes shape. Jaqen H'ghar also changes his facial appearance simply by passing a hand over his face}}.

 

* [[The Wall Around the World]]: The Wall serves double trope duty, both as the edge of the world to the North for the Westerosi, and the edge of the world to the South for the Wildlings.

* [[War Is Hell]]: Enough to make you root for the return of the dynasty that used to hold the whole continent in thrall, because they at least kept the peace; even Aerys' rule seems preferable to the bloody civil war it was replaced with.

** Brienne, at first, very much believes in honor and chivalry, and that the other people believe in it too. She is possibly getting smarter.

** Melisandre. She considers R'hllor the one true god and the one benevolent supernatural force when it's indicated the Red God is not really any better than the other gods and demons we've seen so far, and other gods have been demonstrating real power recently. She believes the world works by [[Black and White Morality]] in a series ''full'' of [[Gray and Grey Morality]]. She believes Stannis is the [[Chosen One]] to lead the fight against the Other, {{spoiler|but everything indicates she's misinterpreting her visions, and Dany and possibly Jon Snow are better candidates}}.

* [[The X of Y]]: The series title and the titles of each book follow the basic format, with minor variations.

* [[Xanatos Speed Chess]]:

** Part of Littlefinger's strategy is simply fomenting chaos and reacting to opportunities as they present themselves.

** Ramsay Bolton managed to {{spoiler|go from fleeing for his life disguised in his servant's filthy clothes to capturing and sacking Winterfell}} through what amounted to a series of clever improvisations.

* [[Yandere]]: Lysa Arryn for Littlefinger who is yandere for Catelyn. Heck, Littlefinger just takes Yandere to a [[Up to Eleven|whole new]] [[Disproportionate Retribution|level]] of crazy.

* [[Yank the Dog's Chain]]: ''Any'' time things are [[Hope Spot|looking up]] for any faction or character the readers sympathize with, catastrophe strikes:

** In ''A Dance With Dragons'', {{spoiler|Theon}} gets the successful variant. A spearwife becomes angry with him and threatens his life. For the first time in about a year, he outright grins and tells her that she needs him to get past the guards. She disgustedly lets him go.

* [[Yubitsume]]: When the smuggler Davos breaks the siege of Storm's End he gets a knighthood, but has the fingertips of one hand cut off. Stannis believes that good deeds don't make up for bad; if you do him a favour he'll reward your for it ''and'' punish you for your previous sins.

* [[Zombie Apocalypse]]: The Others and their reanimated wights are trying to bring this south of the Wall.

 

{{reflist}}