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Dark Shepherd: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
{{quote|'''Murphy''': "Do not kill, do not rape, do not steal. These are principles which every man of every faith can embrace!"
'''Connor''': "These are not polite suggestions! These are codes of behavior -- and those of you that ignore them shall pay the dearest cost!"
|''[[The Boondock Saints]]''}}
{{quote|'''Simon''' ''(to Jayne, after surviving his betrayal)'': "I'm trusting you. I suggest you do the same, because I don't see this working any other way." ''(Exits)''
'''River''' ''(to Jayne)'': "Also, I can kill you with my brain."
|''[[Firefly]]''}}
Good's version of temptation. When moral argument falls on deaf ears, a [[Good Shepherd]] might have a Dark Shepherd moment, herding the sheep along the path of righteousness with the stabby end of the crook.
If the baddie has been remonstrated in some morally sound way, once they're around the corner, [[What You Are in the Dark|safe and alone]], [[Ignored Epiphany|they may suffer doubt]]... or perhaps he was only ''acting'' remorseful to escape, with no intention of repentance. Whether out of habit or malice, the villain is poised to forget the moral lesson and do the exact same thing that got him in trouble. At which point, the
The [[Good Shepherd]] is optimistic in his heavenly intentions and arguments, but the Dark Shepherd focuses on the evil in people. The Dark Shepherd resorts to threats and fear in the sheep's moment of doubt or descent, to scare the sheep away from the edge of the cliff.
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(Watch for common markers such as surprising the sheep alone with their conscience and giving incentive that a more moral character Good Shepherd is unable to give with integrity.)
<!--[[Do It For Me]] is a mild, mostly good version of this, in which a less altruistic character is bribed with affection. The act shows a lack of integrity and a lack of confidence that good can speak for itself that is a mark of the Dark Shepherd mindset.
-->
Through the lens of [[Good Cop, Bad Cop]], the Dark Shepherd closes the sieve. However, usually aware of the somewhat shameful nature of his persuasion, the Dark Shepherd's work is often private, behind the back of any Good Shepherd that may put a stop to it.
{{examples|Examples: }}▼
== [[Film]] ==
* The twins and Il Duce of ''[[Boondock Saints]]'' have a Dark Shepherd final speech, unique in that they are warning the unidentified stray sheep via P.A.
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== [[Live Action TV]] ==
* River Tam from ''[[Firefly]]'' clarifies Jayne's situation ("Also, I can kill you with my brain.") when she suspects that Simon's eloquent trust speech may not be effective. An example of an arguable good-neutral character borrowing the crook for a moment.
** Shepherd Book
== [[Religion]] ==
* Jesus himself. He is always condemning [[Corrupt Church|corrupt religious leaders]] and not uncommonly doing a [[Drill Sergeant Nasty]] even on people who really want to learn, even on his own closest disciples. On the other hand he did not make distinctions and anyone who wished to follow him, whether honest priests, repentant prostitutes, repentant tax collectors (at the time that almost always meant "racketeer" because of a system that let collectors keep the surplus) and even gentiles including Roman soldiers. Or just average Joes and Janes. Those who had sins to get rid of, or Earthly needs to heal, were allowed near him. But he can make a rather painful read, and anyone who thinks that he is an amiable fellow has not read scripture.
* Moses. To this day many Jews make a point of only saying a partial ''Hallel'' (praise chant) for Passover. Celebrating their freedom is fine, celebrating the suffering of their enemies is less so.
* Judah Maccabee. He was a war leader, not a priest -- but he came from a priestly family and led Jewish resistance against the Hellenistic persecutors.
== [[Oral Tradition]] ==
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== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
* The [[Religion of Evil|inverse-Catholic]] (with [[Equal Opportunity Evil|inverse-Anglican, Baptist, Jewish and Muslim]] sects) covenant of the Lancea Sanctum from ''[[Vampire: The Requiem]]'' doctrinally claim this is their relationship with humanity. Sanctified vampires "[[Scare'Em Straight|scare humans straight]]" into the arms of God by acting as the predators (but not [[Complete Monster
== [[Web Comics]] ==
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