History Main / LockeDinTheDungeon

A dungeon is a secluded place, often underground, where criminals or innocent victims alike are taken for [[ColdBloodedTorture corporeal punishment]] or, [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique ahem, "questioning"]]. Designed to [[KickTheDog display how evil the villains are]] or to [[RomanticizedAbuse entertain the audience]]... [[BondageIsBad or both]]. Depending on the setting, expect the torturer to be a thug, a {{Dominatrix}}, a TortureTechnician or an ExaltedTorturer.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': Annette Dubois was locked in a dungeon by her beau Philippe's EvilUncle. He had Philippe imprisoned in a tower, with the end goal of killing them both once he could get away with it and take Philippe's inheritance as King.

* In the original ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersia'', the eponymous Prince is locked by the EvilVizier Jaffar in the palace's dungeon at the beginning of the game in order to be kept out of the way from Jaffar's goal to marry the princess, who loves the eponymous Prince. From there begins the Prince's time limited SaveThePrincess quest (beginning with the Prince escaping from the dungeon through a fragile floor). In the SNES version of the game, the Prince is tortured by Jaffar's guards before being dragged to his cell.

* This happens to Elsa near the end of ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'' after [[spoiler:Hans brings her back to the castle]]. Notably, it is ''her'' dungeon that she is locked in, as Elsa is the queen. [[spoiler:She escapes easily using her ice powers]]. The shackles Elsa is chained in look suspiciously like they were designed for her, which has caused much FridgeHorror at the idea that her parents made them for her. There was also a CutSong called "Life's Too Short (reprise)", which was a DarkReprise of both "Do You Want To Build A Snowman?" and the also-cut song "Life's Too Short", sung by Elsa in the dungeon and Anna [[spoiler:while she was freezing to death in the castle]].

* As pictured, this happens to Elsa near the end of ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'' after [[spoiler:Hans brings her back to the castle]]. Notably, it is ''her'' dungeon that she is locked in, as Elsa is the queen. [[spoiler:She escapes easily using her ice powers]]. The shackles Elsa is chained in look suspiciously like they were designed for her, which has caused much FridgeHorror at the idea that her parents made them for her. There was also a CutSong called "Life's Too Short (reprise)", which was a DarkReprise of both "Do You Want To Build A Snowman?" and the also-cut song "Life's Too Short", sung by Elsa in the dungeon and Anna [[spoiler:while she was freezing to death in the castle]].

* ‘’FanFic/ChainedTogether’’: This Smash bros fanfic has Cloud getting Sent to the Dungeon after Murdering Marth. Shulk was later been thrown in that Dungeon for defending Cloud And both of them got Chained on one of their hands.

[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/Frozen2013 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/locked_in_the_dungeon.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Hey, look on the bright side: [[AnIcePerson at least you can make your own snow cones]]!]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Disney/{{Frozen}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/locked_in_the_dungeon.jpg]]]]

* As pictured, this happens to Elsa near the end of ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'' after [[spoiler:Hans brings her back to the castle]]. Notably, it is ''her'' dungeon that she is locked in, as Elsa is the queen. [[spoiler:She escapes easily using her ice powers]]. The shackles Elsa is chained in look suspiciously like they were designed for her, which has caused much FridgeHorror at the idea that her parents made them for her. There was also a CutSong called "Life's Too Short (reprise)", which was a DarkReprise of both "Do You Want To Build A Snowman?" and the also-cut song "Life's Too Short", sung by Elsa in the dungeon and Anna [[spoiler:while she was freezing to death in the castle]].

* ''VideoGame/FableI'': The Hero needs to [[GreatEscape rescue]] [[spoiler:his mother]] the LivingMacguffin from a remote island prison owned by the BigBad, who's had them trapped for years. After the first attempt [[CutsceneIncompetence fails]], the Hero spends more than a year locked there himself, including lengthy scenes of ControllableHelplessness in an AntiMagic cell.

** Lord Vetinari, Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, uses the dungeons under the palace to great effect as a deterrent and, naturally, as a punishment. However, as revealed in ''Discworld/GuardsGuards'', he has made certain preparations in the event that an usurper throws ''him'' into the dungeons. [[spoiler: The deepest, darkest dungeon has a door covered in chains, deadbolts and locks ... and they're all on the inside.]]
** The Inquisitors of Om in Omnia, as described in ''Discworld/SmallGods'', were employed to torture confessions out of alleged heretics. They did their work in the dungeons beneath the streets of Omnia. To the Inquisitors, though, it was just another job, not something done for pleasure or sadism.

** Nanny Ogg spends some time in Lancre Castle's dungeon in ''Discworld/WyrdSisters''. She amuses herself by playing I-Spy with the ghost of the late king, except all they can spy is torture equipment.

[[folder:Theme Parks]]

* Series/{{Merlin}}, repeatedly.

A dungeon is a secluded place, often underground, where criminals or innocent victims alike are taken for [[ColdBloodedTorture corporeal punishment]] or, [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique ahem, "questioning"]]. Designed to [[MoralEventHorizon display how evil the villains are]] or to [[RomanticizedAbuse entertain the audience]]... [[BondageIsBad or both]]. Depending on the setting, expect the torturer to be a thug, a {{Dominatrix}}, a TortureTechnician or an ExaltedTorturer.

* In one ''DeadPool'' adventure, our hero gets chained up in a dungeon to be eaten by zombies. Being the person he is, he have only one thing to say about his situation: "[[{{Safeword}} SAFEWORD!!!]]"

* This tends to happen in film adaptations of Creator/AlexandreDumas' novel ''The Vicomte de Bragelonne'', namely the third part of the novel, which tells about the Man in the Iron Mask. In the 1929 film ''Film/TheIronMask'', the 1998 Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio film ''Film/TheManInTheIronMask'', and other film adaptations, the Man in the Iron Mask is kept in a dungeon until he's released by Literature/TheThreeMusketeers.

[[folder: Film]]

* As pictured, this happens to Elsa near the end of ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'' after [[spoiler:Hans brings her back to the castle]]. Notably, it is ''her'' dungeon that she is locked in, as Elsa is the queen. [[spoiler:She escapes easily using her ice powers]]. The shackles Elsa is chained in look suspiciously like they were designed for her, which has caused much FridgeHorror at the idea that her parents made them for her. There was also a CutSong called "Life's Too Short (reprise)", which was a DarkReprise of both "Do You Want To Build A Snowman?" and the also-cut song "Life's Too Short", sung by Elsa in the dungeon and Anna [[spoiler:while she was freezing to death in the castle]].

* As pictured, this happens to Elsa near the end of ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'' after [[spoiler:Hans brings her back to the castle]]. Notably, it is ''her'' dungeon that she is locked in, as Elsa is the queen. [[spoiler:She escapes easily using her ice powers]]. The shackles Elsa are changed to look suspiciously like they were designed for her, which has caused much FridgeHorror at the idea that her parents made them for her. There was also a CutSong called "Life's Too Short (reprise)", which was a DarkReprise of both "Do You Want To Build A Snowman?" and the also-cut song "Life's Too Short", sung by Elsa in the dungeon and Anna [[spoiler:while she was freezing to death in the castle]].

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'' subverts the concept of Dungeons. Some Hogwarts dungeons are classically dungeon-ey, and some serve as Potions classes (mind you, this setting is dangerous if the potions being brewed there may be explosive if not done correctly). Note that most RealLife high schools have the chemistry lab(s) on the ''uppermost'' floor of the building.

* As pictured, this happens to Elsa near the end of ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'' after [[spoiler:Hans brings her back to the castle]]. Notably, it is ''her'' dungeon that she is locked in, as Elsa is the queen. [[spoiler:She escapes easily using her ice powers]]. The cuffs Elsa are shackled to look suspiciously like they were designed for her, which has caused much FridgeHorror at the idea that her parents made them for her. There was also a CutSong called "Life's Too Short (reprise)", which was a DarkReprise of both "Do You Want To Build A Snowman?" and the also-cut song "Life's Too Short", sung by Elsa in the dungeon and Anna [[spoiler:while she was freezing to death in the castle]].