Tragic Mistake: Difference between revisions

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In a formal [[Tragedy]], there is a specific scene where the [[Tragic Hero]] is given a clear choice, and they choose wrongly. Often this wrong choice can be blamed on the hero's [[Fatal Flaw]], but sometimes they just get screwed over by fate. (Classic Greek theater liked to give their tragic heroes dilemmas with [[~~Mortons~~ Fork|no correct choice]].)

In a formal [[Tragedy]], there is a specific scene where the [[Tragic Hero]] is given a clear choice, and they choose wrongly. Often this wrong choice can be blamed on the hero's [[Fatal Flaw]], but sometimes they just get screwed over by fate. (Classic Greek theater liked to give their tragic heroes dilemmas with [[Morton's Fork|no correct choice]].)

This moment may not be obvious at the time, but looking back, it becomes clear that this moment was crucial to the hero's tragic downfall. The results of this bad choice lead inexorably towards the hero's catastrophic end--had the hero chosen correctly at this point, the catastrophe could have been averted.

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As the Tragic Mistake is one of the most crucial moments in the story '''expect a lot of spoilers below'''.

== Anime & Manga ==

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* In ''[[Supernatural (TV)|Supernatural]]'', efforts to save the world [[I Did What I Had to Do|at any cost]] seem to backfire whenever a character decides that they're [[The Only One]] who can do so instead of [[The Power of Friendship|relying on friends]].

** In season four, Dean demands Sam dissolve his alliance with the demon Ruby and giving up drinking demon blood to gain the power to defeat Lilith, as per the angels' requests/warnings, or walk out and "not be brothers anymore". Since Dean [[Berserk Button|calls him a monster]] and "closes that door" on him [[Parental Abandonment|just like their father did]], and Sam believes what he's doing is the only way to prevent the Apocalypse, it's more believable how Ruby and the [[Light Is Not Good|angels]] deceive Sam. He becomes Lilith's/Ruby's [[Unwitting Pawn]] and, in his efforts to stop the Apocalypse, [[Nice Job Breaking It Hero|unintentionally busts Lucifer out of Hell]] to start [[The End of the World As We Know It]].

** In season four, Dean demands Sam dissolve his alliance with the demon Ruby and giving up drinking demon blood to gain the power to defeat Lilith, as per the angels' requests/warnings, or walk out and "not be brothers anymore". Since Dean [[Berserk Button|calls him a monster]] and "closes that door" on him [[Parental Abandonment|just like their father did]], and Sam believes what he's doing is the only way to prevent the Apocalypse, it's more believable how Ruby and the [[Light Is Not Good|angels]] deceive Sam. He becomes Lilith's/Ruby's [[Unwitting Pawn]] and, in his efforts to stop the Apocalypse, [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero|unintentionally busts Lucifer out of Hell]] to start [[The End of the World As We Know It]].

** In season six, {{spoiler|Castiel}} chooses not to seek Dean's help {{spoiler|in fighting the civil war in Heaven,}} and instead makes a [[Deal With the Devil]], {{spoiler|[[Kick the Dog|breaks Sam's mind]], and [[Moral Event Horizon|kills his angel friends]] so he can gain the power of Purgatory's souls to win the war}} to prevent the Apocalypse from being restarted. ''Then'' he {{spoiler|[[A God Am I|declares himself the new god]].}} In season seven, {{spoiler|[[Jumped Off the Slippery Slope|things go downhill from there]] as Castiel's actions unleash [[Eldritch Abomination|unkillable monsters]] on the world.}}

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== Web Comics ==

* This is what pushes [[The Dragon|Redcloak]] into [[Anti Villain]] (or flat-out villain) territory in ''[[The Order of the Stick (Webcomic)|The Order of the Stick]]'' prequel book ''[[Start of Darkness]]''. {{spoiler|His brother Right-Eye decides that nothing they accomplish working with Xykon is worth his casual slaughter of their own troops, and acquires a weapon that can destroy Xykon despite him being a lich. Redcloak, on the other hand, thinks that it will all have been meaningless if he backs out, and kills Right-Eye. To make matters worse, Xykon reveals that he already knew about Right-Eye's plan and had taken steps to protect himself, but wanted to see what Redcloak would do.}}

* This is what pushes [[The Dragon|Redcloak]] into [[Anti-Villain]] (or flat-out villain) territory in ''[[The Order of the Stick (Webcomic)|The Order of the Stick]]'' prequel book ''[[Start of Darkness]]''. {{spoiler|His brother Right-Eye decides that nothing they accomplish working with Xykon is worth his casual slaughter of their own troops, and acquires a weapon that can destroy Xykon despite him being a lich. Redcloak, on the other hand, thinks that it will all have been meaningless if he backs out, and kills Right-Eye. To make matters worse, Xykon reveals that he already knew about Right-Eye's plan and had taken steps to protect himself, but wanted to see what Redcloak would do.}}