History Main / IAmWhatIam

** When 'Boss' Jim W. Gettys tries to BlackMail Kane, he admits that even when he is the archetype of the SleazyPolitician, [[EvenEvilHasStandards even he has more standards]] than Kane.

''' 'Boss' Jim W. Gettys:''' I'm not a gentleman, Mrs. Kane, and your husband is just trying to be funny calling me one. I don't even know what a gentleman is. ''(tensely and venomously)'' You see, my idea of a gentleman, Mrs. Kane - well, if [[IntrepidReporter I owned a newspaper and if I didn't like the way somebody else was doing things - some politician, say - I'd fight them with everything I had]]. Only I wouldn't show him in a convict suit, with stripes – [[DontTellMama so his children could see the picture in the paper. Or his mother]]. ''(physically restrains himself from attacking Kane)'' It's pretty clear - I'm not a gentleman.

** When 'Boss' Jim W. Gettys tries to BlackMail Kane, he admits that even when he is the archetype of the SleazyPolitician, [[EvenEvilHasStandards even he has more standards ]] than Kane.
--->'''Kane:''' In case you don't know, Emily - this - this gentleman - (Kane puts a world of scorn into the Word) is - \\
''' 'Boss' Jim W. Gettys:''' I'm not a gentleman, Mrs. Kane, and your husband is just trying to be funny calling me one. I don't even know what a gentleman is. ''(Tensely, with all the hatred and venom in the world)'' You see, my idea of a gentleman, Mrs. Kane - well, if [[IntrepidReporter I owned a newspaper and if I didn't like the way somebody else was doing things - some politician, say - I'd fight them with everything I had]]. Only I wouldn't show him in a convict suit, with stripes – [[DontTellMama so his children could see the picture in the paper. Or his mother]]. ''(He has to control himself from hurling himself at Kane)'' It's pretty clear - I'm not a gentleman.

--->'''Kane:''' ''You know, Mr. Bernstein, [[ICouldaBeenAContender if I hadn't been very rich, I might have been a really great man]]''.\\
'''Thatcher:''' ''Don't you think you are?''\\
'''Kane:''' ''I think I did pretty well, under the circumstances.''\\
'''Thatcher:''' ''What would you like to have been?''\\
'''Kane:''' ''Everything you hate''.

''' 'Boss' Jim W. Gettys:''' ''I'm not a gentleman, Mrs. Kane, and your husband is just trying to be funny calling me one. I don't even know what a gentleman is.'' (Tensely, with all the hatred and venom in the world) ''You see, my idea of a gentleman, Mrs. Kane - well, if [[IntrepidReporter I owned a newspaper and if I didn't like the way somebody else was doing things - some politician, say - I'd fight them with everything I had]]. Only I wouldn't show him in a convict suit, with stripes – [[DontTellMama so his children could see the picture in the paper. Or his mother]]''. (He has to control himself from hurling himself at Kane) ''It's pretty clear - I'm not a gentleman''.

** Yozak is the cheerful, improbably competent, muscled, crossdressing red-headed spy who seems incredibly at home in his own skin, though some of that ''might'' be a coping mechanism. His mother died and he spent his childhood (i.e. about thirty years) starving because of the customary ostracizing of anyone with half-Mazoku children in Shimaron, and he harbors some resentment against Mazoku for their less virulent but still racist treatment of half-bloods. At any rate, he is very IAmWhatIAm by this point in his life.

* Too many characters to count among Marvel Comics [[ComicBook/XMen X-titles]] and mutant spin-offs. Whether hero or villain, whether their ability has inconvenient side or not, whether angsty over it or taking it in stride, before, during, or after an about-face (or about-heel) and back, almost everyone has an IAmWhatIAm moment at some time.

** Fagin seems to always come back to the IAmWhatIAm decision.

** His "fair lady Dulcinea" spits out the darkest possible version of an IAmWhatIAm song, saying that she is what she is: an unloved, unremembered whore who comes from a dog-eat-dog world and that's ''only'' way she can be, and all she deserves.

* ''Literature/TheBible'': In The Book of Exodus, {{God}} famously responds to Moses asking Him for His name with something we can't quite translate into English - it's often rendered as "I AM WHAT I AM" or "I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE". In doing so [[BadassBoast his God proclaims that He is beyond mere names]] and references the Hebrews' (sacred) placeholder-name for their technically-nameless God, YHWH (lit. "that which was, is, and will be"). Another translation of the line (quoted in ''Film/{{Dogma}}'') is "I AM HE WHO IS CALLED 'I AM'."
** This can also be interpreted as God saying that as He's the only one, he doesn't need a specific name. If there was only one tree in the entire universe, we'd just call it "the tree", not a fig tree or a birch tree or anything of the sort. [[note]]This is pretty much the reason why in English His name is generally just considered to be "God" and any other deity is termed "a god." The capitalization is important. Most of the other names there are for Him are either descriptors, poetic, or both. This is a rather inconvenient bit of shorthand cultural baggage basically built into English for those people who aren't Christian. If you refer to "God" without a qualifier, most people will jump to a vaguely Christian conclusion.[[/note]]

* In the opening of ''WesternAnimation/Megamind'', the eponymous VillainProtagonist spends a decent portion lamenting that as he child he caused nothing but trouble when he attempted to be a good guy like the Mr. Goody Two-Shoes who would eventually become Metroman. Eventually, though, he decides that being the bad guy is his destiny and [[ThenLetMeBeEvil proudly embraces being the bad guy.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'': After spending her life trying to conceal her [[AnIcePerson ice powers]], Elsa finally comes to terms with herself and her powers, resulting in the song ''Let It Go'' [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope, at least until Elsa gets informed of the]] EndlessWinter she created and she ended up going back to square one, especially when she struck Anna in the heart. [[DoubleSubverted The sisters enjoy a happy ending in the end, though, after they learn to reconcile her Snow Queen identity with her life in Arendelle with her family.]]]]

* ''Series/PowerRangersRPM'' has the episode "Ranger Blue," wherein [[TheyLookLikeUsNow villainous humanoid cyborg infiltration unit Tenaya]] attempts a quick BreakingSpeech on the Blue Ranger, Flynn. Flynn's life has been one long litany of NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished, with every attempt to help people getting him in trouble or otherwise not working out, leading to a lot of old doubts. That said, Flynn is a still a Power Ranger, meaning he is finally in a position where bravery, enthusiasm, stubbornness, and a total drive towrds selfless altruism aren't hinderances but downright mandatory job requirements. As such, he has no time for Tenaya's attempt at mind games, which leads to a ''highly'' entertaining exchange:

* Lucifer, from ''The Tragedy of Man'': "I cannot give anything other than my being." That is, a scathing criticism of Creation, to {{God}}. It doesn't end well.

** The musical featured the TropeNamer, later covered by Gloria Gaynor:

* Lucifer, from ''Literature/TheTragedyOfMan'': "I cannot give anything other than my being." That is, a scathing criticism of Creation, to {{God}}. It doesn't end well.

** The musical featured the TropeNamer, later covered by Music/GloriaGaynor:

Often a character will be ashamed of some aspect of themself (or society insists they should be). It might have something to do with their heritage, such as being [[HeroicBastard illegitimately born]], {{half|HumanHybrid}}-[[OurDemonsAreDifferent demon]] or [[VillainousLineage some other inheritance considered unfortunate by society]]. It might have something to do with their lifestyle--from being geeky to [[CollectorOfTheStrange collecting]] [[BreadEggsMilkSquick belly button lint]]. Maybe they were forced into an EmergencyTransformation which can't be undone, and have [[StagesOfMonsterGrief been bemoaning]] "WhatHaveIBecome". They might have just learned [[TomatoInTheMirror they aren't who or what they thought they were]] and is in the middle of an IdentityBreakdown. Or maybe it's an obstacle they face, like being handicapped, dyslexic or [[TheMcCoy incapable of thinking rationally]]. Could even be a matter [[LoveTropes of love]]. Whatever the issue is, expect the character at some point to receive an epiphany that leads to them embracing whatever makes them different.

Often a character will be ashamed of some aspect of themself (or society insists they should be). It might have something to do with their heritage, such as being [[HeroicBastard illegitimately born]], {{half|HumanHybrid}}-[[OurDemonsAreDifferent demon]] or [[VillainousLineage some other inheritance considered unfortunate by society]]. It might have something to do with their lifestyle--from being geeky to [[CollectorOfTheStrange collecting]] [[BreadEggsMilkSquick belly button lint]]. Maybe they were forced into an EmergencyTransformation which can't be undone, and have [[StagesOfMonsterGrief been bemoaning]] "WhatHaveIBecome" Or maybe it's an obstacle they face, like being handicapped, dyslexic or [[TheMcCoy incapable of thinking rationally]]. Could even be a matter [[LoveTropes of love]]. Whatever the issue is, expect the character at some point to receive an epiphany that leads to them embracing whatever makes them different.

** Galaeron Nihmedu. First, he suffers from prejudices as a sorcerer, then he's cut off the Weave (one of worst fates for an elf) and others see him almost as {{undead}}. But once he regains control over himself, he does what's right for him and neither reacts to cold reception nor {{wangst}}s himself out.

* Averted in ''The Naked Spur'' (1953). BountyHunter Kemp drags the dead body of outlaw Vandergroat out of the river after his partner has been killed trying to drag it across the river. When Lina gives him a [[WhatTheHellHero What The Hell Hero Speech]] Kemp gives this trope but eventually decides to put his past behind him and go on to another life with her.

->''"This is who I am!"''
-->-- '''Shadow the Hedgehog''', ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog''

[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bane_7.png]]]]

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[[quoteright:169:[[ComicBook/TheSandman https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/norton.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:169:Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico]]

--> '''[[IdiotHero Goku]]''': "I am the Saiyan sent to Earth as a baby to defeat you [Freeza]. Despite my quiet exterior, [[BewareTheNiceOnes my calm heart has]] [[TranquilFury been awakened by rage]]. '''I am the [[SuperMode Super Saiyan]], Son Goku!'''"