Talk:Self-Restraint

I don't get the difference. Sister tropes? One subtrope of the other. Exact same trope? If there is a difference, it doesn't seem super meaningful

Okay, both Tropes usually mean the prisoner could escape any time he wants, but there is a difference as to the reasons and motives WHY he does not. Self-Restraint means that the prisoner did NOT expect to be arrested or detained, and rarely uses his imprisonment to his own advantage. Also it is commonly is usually done by the hero who makes no effort to conceal who he is or his abilities; the jailers know this guy is an escape risk, and so does the viewers. The Tropes Wrongly Accused, Clear My Name, and all too often, Lawful Stupid will sometimes apply.

With Play Along Prisoner, however, there is more deceit involved, and rarely as benign the prisoner's arrest either essential to his plans or something unexpected that he is now able to use for his own goals. In this case, the jailers assume the prisoner is not a threat and is helpless while in custody. The prisoner fully intends to escape eventually, and usually only pretends to be caught to inconvenience or embarrass the jailers when he does, or he secretly knows his plan can only succeed so long as he's there, the Tropes Trojan Prisoner and Might as Well Not Be in Prison at All often overlapping.

I'd say they're sister tropes. A Play-Along Prisoner sees no valid reason to be imprisoned, while someone under Self-Restraint accepts that there is a valid reason. I think.