Damsel Errant/Playing With

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Basic Trope: In medieval literature, a woman who uses her charms to lure the knight into action
  • Played Straight: Sir Bob falls hard for Lady Alice, who ends up leading him right into the clutches of the Big Bad.
  • Exaggerated: Lady Alice is herself the Big Bad.
  • Justified: Love Makes You Stupid
  • Inverted: Sir Bob manages to seduce Lady Alice and leads her into all sorts of trouble.
  • Subverted: Lady Alice charms Sir Bob, and gives him a MacGuffin that will protect him.
  • Double Subverted: But only from one particular villian; the one he ends up encountering, the MacGuffin in question has no effect on whatsoever.
  • Deconstructed: Sir Bob is being put into serious danger by Lady Alice, and she knows it. This can have a dramatic effect on their relationship. Also, the fact that this love usually doesn't last can be painful for both of them.
  • Reconstructed: Lady Alice has a good relationship with Sir Bob, and they have adventures together, but they are able to handle everything without one person being put in excessive danger. Their love does last.
  • Parodied: Lady Alice seems to be leading Sir Bob down the primrose path to becoming dragon chow, but is actually leading him to a surprise party in his honor.
  • Lampshaded: "Does something seem...odd about Lady Alice to you?"
  • Averted:
    • Sir Bob never once meets Lady Alice.
    • Lady Alice does not use her womanly wiles on Sir Bob.
  • Enforced: All Women Are Lustful, and similar paradigms
  • Invoked: Sir Bob meets Lady Alice by the river and instantly falls for her.
  • Exploited: Lady Claire wants Sir Bob to join her side, and she befriends Lady Alice and uses her to help her achieve that end.
  • Defied: Lady Alice does not want to put her Love Interest in danger, even if he would do anything for her, and even if he is technically bound to the code of chivalry. So she wishes him the best, but does not manipulate anything behind the scenes.
  • Discussed: "What is she trying to pull?"
  • Conversed: "That woman is nothing but trouble..."
  • Played For Laughs: The Xanatos Gambit pulled by Lady Alice shows What an Idiot! Sir Bob is.
  • Played For Drama: Almost always is.

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