History Fridge / Dishonored

* According to the Heart, it seems like everyone in Dunwall is a narcissist of some sort. There are several genuinely decent people, but those are the exception rather than the rule. This looks like a straight example of HumansAreBastards, but consider the world these people are living in. [[DeathWorld Everything from the hounds to the barnacles are incredibly dangerous]], and even the ''common housefly'' is stinging and parasitic. Furthermore,all the examples you see in the game are just the ''Urban'' wildlife; you don't even glimpse the truly wild places, although the severe lethality of the creatures inhabiting those areas are hinted at throughout the game. In a world where EverythingIsTryingToKillYou, a greater emphasis on your personal survival is far more understandable. Historians have speculated that empathy and selflessness only became virtues after humanity became secure at the top of the food chain, and Dunwall has yet to achieve that in spite of the technology at their disposal.

** [[https://www.escapistmagazine.com/v2/corvo-is-not-an-honorable-man/ Corvo Is Not An Honorable Man:]] The title ''Dishonored'' takes a whole new meaning if you are familiar with the Honor Culture of the 1700s and 1800s. Honor was not being ''ethically virtuous'', so much as being ''worthy''; a man could be extremely amoral and completely honorable at the same time. (Duels were not honorable because you were attacking an offender, but because you were exposing yourself to danger to prove your integrity. Refusing to shoot at your opponent would be a terrible insult to them.) Even in a pacifist playthrough, Corvo deploys stealth, uses magic and technology his enemies lack, and disgraces his marks while they are helpless/unaware. Although Corvo's methods resemble a southern European ''vendetta'' in style and execution, by the standards of English honor code he is truly ''Dishonored''.
** This is even more brilliant if you follow the in-game lore. Corvo is from Serkonos (based on southern Europe) while Dunwall is part of Gristol (based on England). Historically,there was often friction between northern Europeans and southern Europeans because their definition of "honor" differed. In the north, it meant upholding your integrity and worth in a composed, dignified, and public manner. In the south, it meant respecting your family by avenging every insult to them through any means necessary. And given the implication, later confirmed, that [[spoiler:the Empress and Emily are his ''literal'' family...]]
** Even more, this explains why, later in the game, the Loyalists would do something as reckless (listed on the main page under IdiotBall, in fact) as [[spoiler:ordering Samuel to poison Corvo ''and'' take care of the body instead of doing it themselves. It's not that they're blindly trusting the token good guy servant to murder someone, it's that they literally cannot be caught doing that kind of dirty work personally, even if it means taking the risk that the job won't be done properly.]]
** On a related note this indicates that Lord Pendleton, supposedly representing the honor of the nobility through his presence among the loyalists, is an extreme hypocrite. For all his talk about supporting the cause, if you actually visit Pendleton's room and listen to his audiographs he seems more interested in writing his memoirs than actually making a difference. Most of the time he simply stays at the Hound Pits Pub while Corvo is dispatched on dangerous missions. Furthermore, he even goes as far as to skip out on a duel with Lord Shaw by having Corvo fight in his place. In short, Pendleton has no honor. Is it any surprise then that [[spoiler: he later betrays Corvo by poisoning him, instead of facing him directly?]]. This also reaches an appropriate conclusion in the High Chaos ending, where [[spoiler: Pendleton, Martin, and Havelock turn against each other. If the player searches for Pendleton and Martin, they find the two engaged in a battle where Pendleton has no choice but to directly face his opponent, and is fatally wounded by Martin]].

* While the theme and selling points of the game make it obvious right away that Corvo's return to Dunwall is going to go awry, nobody in Dunwall itself seems to think anything is up. However, the nameless guard steering the launch at the very beginning of the game comments on how strange it is to send the Empress's bodyguard away for months on a diplomatic errand, and he doesn't buy the official explanation either. He's not fooled because he's not important enough to fool, unlike Jessamine and Curnow. It's probably this same guard that helps Corvo in Coldridge, because he was already suspicious and would be amenable to helping a man he doesn't believe is guilty.
* The game plays out exactly alike even if the Empress' death can't be pinned on you. Even if Corvo has sword wounds all over him and a clean sword, people will still act as if it's clear you just stabbed the woman. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation There wouldn't be a game otherwise, of course]], but even in-universe, Cambpell and Burrows are the first responders, and since Burrows has the guards in his pocket and would control the narrative, it's easy to brush it off. Even if he needed to provide some manner of proof, none involved are likely against a [[DesecratingTheDead post-mortem stab to get the necessary effect]]

** [[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/columns/criticalintel/10133-Corvo-Is-Not-An-Honorable-Man Corvo Is Not An Honorable Man:]] The title ''Dishonored'' takes a whole new meaning if you are familiar with the Honor Culture of the 1700s and 1800s. Honor was not being ''ethically virtuous'', so much as being ''worthy''; a man could be extremely amoral and completely honorable at the same time. (Duels were not honorable because you were attacking an offender, but because you were exposing yourself to danger to prove your integrity. Refusing to shoot at your opponent would be a terrible insult to them.) Even in a pacifist playthrough, Corvo deploys stealth, uses magic and technology his enemies lack, and disgraces his marks while they are helpless/unaware. Although Corvo's methods resemble a southern European ''vendetta'' in style and execution, by the standards of English honor code he is truly ''Dishonored''.

** alternately, it would encourage people who know snippets of his plan to make themselves known, thence they can be dealt with.

* The level "Lady Boyle's Last Party" may be a reference to Edgar Allan Poe's "Literature/TheMasqueOfTheRedDeath". In both cases, a high ranking aristocrat throws a masked ball in times of Plague, open only to other aristocrats, and barring all others. Later, a mysterious masked man arrives at the ball to exact punishment on the misdeeds of the host. The men's masks portray someone or something looked down upon by the current society of that world.

* Callista Curnow's [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor fate]] in a Low Chaos ending: [[spoiler: lost at sea, which is so [[NothingIsScarier ambiguous]] that you're left guessing what happens. Did she simlply get caught in a storm and her boat was sunk? Get attacked by any of the horrific [[KrakenAndLeviathan sea monsters]] that actually exist in this world? Run across and captured by pirates? Or did she simply truly get lost and slowly starved to death trying to get home? Anyway you look at it, it's an entirly undeserved end for one of the nicest characters in the game.]]

** Proven untrue in the sequel. Serkonans NPCs will warn each others not to get bitten by the plague rats summoned by Corvo. On the other hand, this could be due to the cultural stigma of the rats rather than any real threat of infection.

* The level "Lady Boyle's Last Party" may be a reference to Edgar Allan Poe's "Masque of the Red Death." In both cases, a high ranking aristocrat throws a masked ball in times of Plague, open only to other aristocrats, and barring all others. Later, a mysterious masked man arrives at the ball to exact punishment on the misdeeds of the host. The men's masks portray someone or something looked down upon by the current society of that world.

** This also comes into play when you think about the characterization of Lord Pendleton, supposedly representing the nobility among the Loyalists. Although he likes to present himself as a man of honor, he is generally more concerned about writing his memoirs than actually contributing to the cause. Pendleton also shows a lack of honor when he has Corvo take part in a duel in his place.