The Final Temptation: Difference between revisions

* One of the earlier examples is from [[G. K. Chesterton]]'s book ''The Ball and The Cross'': At the pinnacle of an extended metaphor revolving around the eponymous shapes, "Professor" Lucifer successively tempts the two protagonists (a Catholic and an Atheist) with monarchic and anarchistic utopias, respectively. Both refuse his offer by falling out of the airship, the first trusting in miracles and the second in the fact that he's probably dreaming.

* Samwise Gamgee in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', the only Ringbearer in history to refuse the temptation of the One Ring. Being the quintessential hobbit, this was attributed to his "plain hobbit sense." He imagines [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am-piARxy4U a garden the size of an entire realm], then realizes it'd be impossible to manage and unfulfilling to have servants do it for him.

* [[Greek Mythology|Achilles]] is told early on that if he does not go to the war he will find peace and have a family of his own but he will eventually be forgotten; if he goes to Troy, his name will last for eternity but he will die there.]] [[Jumped At the Call|Guess which one he took.]]

* [[Andre Norton]]'s ''Storm Over Warlock'': the telepathic Wyverns put Shann Lantee through a test involving illusions, including reunion with a pet he'd had a few years before -- "the only thing Shann had ever known which he could love wholeheartedly...." To pass that part of the test, he had to force himself to recall in detail how his pet died, in pain from an injury Shann was powerless to heal. He was, understandably, in a rather bad mood for some time afterwards.