History Main / GoYeHeroesGoAndDie

* In ''Theatre/TheMarriageOfFigaro'', the melody of Figaro's remarks to Cherubino, "Non più andrai" can be considered as this, explaining the joys of the soldier's life: no more women, no more dancing, but marching all day in big helmets and mustaches, foul weather, low pay, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1-FKyOTvto to the sound of bombards and cannons]].

* Those Green Goblins in VideoGame/TheBardsTale, in that case it overlaps with TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, since its not entirely clear if its even ''supposed'' to be a RousingSpeech, [[DeconstructorFleet then again...]] Yeah, oh how reassuring it is to hear them sing how the titular bard is not the chosen one and is gonna die. [[https://youtu.be/X7rAnaKId3E?t=1m7s This goes on]] [[https://youtu.be/Cj-3er14-aY?t=35s for an entirety]] [[https://youtu.be/6bVVNsrcbeQ?t=1m22s of no less]] [[https://youtu.be/0xBfA5adnho than 4(!) songs!]]. [[spoiler:Although in the [[https://youtu.be/MaTQcQAMWl4?t=46s final 5th]] one they finally acknowledge the truth (that one certainly qualifies though.]]

* ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'' gives us [[http://drmcninja.com/archives/comic/21p54/ this gem]], wherein the titular Doctor encourages his army of rabble to become CannonFodder in order to be privileged to witness a lot of dinosaurs being punched.

** {{Subverted}} (and possibly {{defied}}) with Roy's drunken speech in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1187.html strip 1187]], which is just kind of "Go do whatever while I sleep this off before we go save the world." Elan's follow-up makes it inspiring when he points out that Roy (TheLeader and frequent OnlySaneMan) trusting for the rest of [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits the team]] to do what they think is best is a sign of huge progress for all of them.

** Earnest Shackleton's alleged advertisement for crew for his Antarctic expedition deliberately invokes this trope, to discourage all but [[MenAreTough Real]] [[TestosteronePoisoning Men]] from applying: "Men wanted for a hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful, honor and recognition in case of success." It turns out this ad is [[http://www.antarctic-circle.org/advert.htm almost certainly apocryphal]].

[[TropeNamer Go, ye heroes, go and die!]]"''

* In ''Theatre/TheMarriageOfFigaro'', the melody of the Figaro's remarks to Cherubino, "Non più andrai" can be considered as this.

* Nathan Explosion from ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}'' provides one in a college graduation ceremony in the episode, appropriately titled, "Go Forth and Die". In this case, though, it's him trying to make a decent speech but isn't eloquent enough to do so. He then ends up snapping and telling them that even though he's less educated than they are, [[AppealToWealth he's still way richer than any of them will ever be]] and tells them that they'll all die anyways.

* In the TotalWar series, depending on the traits of your generals and the situation of the battle, they can give speeches ranging from inspiring and full of insults towards the enemy, to tedious and rambling, to depressed and defeatist, to rants about moon-men and funny hats.

[[folder:Web Originals]]

[[folder: Real Life]]

* Invoked in ''WesternAnimation/SandokanTheTigerOfMalaysia'' In his speech to the {{mooks}} occupying the goodies' island stronghold and awaiting a counterattack, "Admiral Zenay" delivers such inspiring lines as "the pirates outnumber us ten to one" (leading the Major to add, in his follow-up speech, "the pirates will be overwhelming us at any moment"). Since "[[SdrawkcabAlias Zenay]]" is actually Yanez, Sandokan's second-in-command, in disguise, demoralizing them is all part of the plan.

[[folder: Newspaper Comics]]

* In the backstory of ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', the Storm Queen Argella Durrandon barred the gates of Storm's End after [[HeroicBastard Orys Baratheon]] killed her father in single combat, intending to go down against the Targaryens fighting. Given that the Targaryens had dragons, [[RealityEnsues her soldiers disagreed. The issue was resolved when they delivered her to Orys buck naked and in chains.]]

* US President UsefulNotes/JimmyCarter's "Crisis of Confidence" address is often cited as an example of a demoralizing speech, to the point where it is commonly called among Americans as the "malaise speech" ([[BeamMeUpScotty even though the term "malaise" never got used by Carter]]). Basically, Carter was calling for citizens to conserve fuel during the current energy crisis, but it unintentionally took on a tone of blaming his citizens for causing the crisis.

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}:

* In ''Literature/{{Jingo}}'', Captain Carrot rallies his troops with a rousing cry of "If we succeed, no-one will remember. And if we fail, no one will forget!" Noted to be perhaps the worst battle cry since "Let's all get our throats cut, lads." It's a subversion, though, in that it actually works. But only because it's Carrot, who could have led a thousand armies into war under the battle cry of "[[OhWaitThisIsMyGroceryList Eggs! Milk! Bread! FLOUR!]]" It also fits a running theme of the book: leaders who got their men pointlessly killed are remembered forever, but ones who ''prevented'' bloodshed are quickly forgotten.

* US President UsefulNotes/JimmyCarter's "Crisis of Confidence" address is often cited as an example of a demoralizing speech, to the point where it is commonly called among Americans as the "malaise speech". Basically, Carter was calling for citizens to conserve fuel during the current energy crisis, but it unintentionally took on a tone of blaming his citizens for causing the crisis.

* "La Resistance" from ''WesternAnimation/SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut''. It's very inspiring for everyone except the three people it's ''supposed'' to be inspiring.

* In ''Theatre/TheMarriageOfFigaro'', the melody of the Count's remarks to Cherubino, "Non più andrai" can be considered as this.

** On 7 October 1915, Serbian Major Dragutin Gavrilović addressed troops about to fight the Austro-Hungarians with the following injunction: "Soldiers! Heroes! The High Command has efaced our regiment from its number. Our regiment has been sacrificed for the honor of our Fatherland and of Belgrade. You no longer have to worry about your lives, which do not exist anymore. So onward to glory!" (In actual fact, no order was given by the High Command to "sacrifice" the regiment, though the Serbian army did fight heroically and suffered unspeakable losses in the war).

Go, ye heroes, go and die!"''

-->'''Boreale:''' Battle-brothers! SpaceMarines, today the enemy is at our door! We know our duty and we will do it! We fight for our honor, as Literature/BloodRavens, as SpaceMarines, and we fight in the name of the Emperor! And if we die this day, we die in glory! We die hero's deaths! But we shall not die, no, it is the enemy who will taste death and defeat!

[[quoteright:326:[[Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/go_and_die.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:326: "You ''suck!''"]]

* Two possible ways for Website/{{Clickhole}}'s [[http://www.clickhole.com/quiz/what-hope-do-we-few-have-against-armies-byzantium-1034 What Hope Do We Few Have Against The Armies Of Byzantium]] to go; one [[MartyrdomCulture dutifully accepting demise]], the other [[LaughingMad manically embracing it]].

* On British panel show ''Series/MockTheWeek'', on the subject of "Bad things to when leading troops into battle", Creator/FrankieBoyle offered these: Soon you'll be at home with your families! In a jar... on the mantelpiece..." and "Our best hope is that the enemy kills so many of us they become slightly depressed."

* ''Disney/WreckItRalph'': Ralph's encouraging speech to a nervous Vanellope as they are on their way to the big race presumably has the opposite of its intended effect:

** {{Subverted}} (and possibly {{defied}}) with Roy's drunked speech in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1187.html strip 1187]], which is just kind of "Go do whatever while I sleep this off before we go save the world." Elan's follow-up makes it inspiring when he points out that Roy (TheLeader and frequent OnlySaneMan) trusting for the rest of [[RagTagBunchOfMisfits the team]] to do what they think is best is a sign of huge progress for all of them.

* In ''Discworld/{{Jingo}}'', Captain Carrot rallies his troops with a rousing cry of "If we succeed, no-one will remember. And if we fail, no one will forget!" Noted to be perhaps the worst battle cry since "Let's all get our throats cut, lads." It's a subversion, though, in that it actually works. But only because it's Carrot, who could have led a thousand armies into war under the battle cry of "[[OhWaitThisIsMyGroceryList Eggs! Milk! Bread! FLOUR!]]" It also fits a running theme of the book: leaders who got their men pointlessly killed are remembered forever, but ones who ''prevented'' bloodshed are quickly forgotten.

* In Literature/Worm the collected Heroes and Villains are preparing to fight Leviathan, one of the incredibly destructive monsters known as an Endbringer. Legend starts to give a speech, but quickly veers into the fact that even if this is a "good day", that probably means about one in four of the people in the room is going to die.

* Invoked in the ''{{Sandokan}}'' cartoon. In his speech to the {{mooks}} occupying the goodies' island stronghold and awaiting a counterattack, "Admiral Zenay" delivers such inspiring lines as "the pirates outnumber us ten to one" (leading the Major to add, in his follow-up speech, "the pirates will be overwhelming us at any moment"). Since "[[SdrawkcabAlias Zenay]]" is actually Yanez, Sandokan's second-in-command, in disguise, demoralizing them is all part of the plan.

* Théoden has a remarkably short one in the ''Film/TheReturnOfTheKing'' movie. "No, we can't [defeat them]. [[LastStand But we will meet them in battle nonetheless."]] No wonder Aragorn took over the duties of rallying his troops in the next battle. The speech was originally Éomer's encouragement for a LastStand in the book, which is why it basically boils down to "let's at least try to die heroically".