History Main / TheGrovel

This trope is common in {{Romance Novel}}s, {{Breakup Song}}s, and {{Romantic Comed|y}}ies. The PoseOfSupplication may or may not be involved. See also IdiotHoudini.

* ''Film/IShotAndyWarhol'': Paul Morrisey falls down and pleads for his life after Valerie goes on her shooting spree. In other contexts, he could look like a DirtyCoward, but the film is a realistic account of true events and he truly has no other chance to survive.

** In season one, he was also apologising a lot in order to get back together (and elope) with Aziraphale after [[spoiler:the bandstand breakup]] scene.

* ''WebAnimation/RevengeFilms'':
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYT3spf9V3w "My wife was cheating on me with her coworker..."]] Eiko begged Mubio to take her back [[spoiler:after she found out about his inheritance money and he threatened divorce for her cheating. However, he isn't having any of it and kicked her and her whole family out of the house]].
** In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu8mouXEeHM "My wife had a miscarriage... Her parents were mad, but the truth always hurts..."]]: At the discussion meeting Jack scheduled about his wife's affair, the paraplegic cheating woman proclaims she has been punished enough, on top of begging him for forgiveness and to not divorce her. However, Jack sees through her pleas and threatens to explain how she ended up paraplegic in the first place, to which she wept in defeat while her lover paled in fear.
--->'''Jack's Wife:''' I've been punished enough. Please forgive me, and please don't divorce me.\\
'''Jack:''' What do you mean, ''you've'' been punished!? You want me to tell everyone how you ended up like that!?
** [[https://youtu.be/SCT_gJzzY6c?t=525 "My wife wouldn't let our son have his bank book. Turns out she was secretly using it"]]: OP and his son Bradley chewed out their wife and mother for squandering the former's money on her affair. While the cheating woman started to break down from the demands for divorce, the notice that her notoriously strict parents were on their way to collect broke her down into a sobbing wreck, tearfully begging OP not to divorce her since she married the guy to escape their hold and was safe from them as long as they were married. However, OP stood firm on his decision and let them take her away.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWSlLIsLReQ "My best friend stole my girlfriend, so I decided to reset my life..."]]: After Jack was demoted for screwing up his presentation because he was shocked the OP was a successful man, Jill tried to get back with him by texting him love letters nonstop, but the OP eventually blocked her. She even stood outside his office building to remind him of the days he used to love her, but he called security to have her taken away.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnCETDtwFc4 "Husband's family loves my husband's ex girlfriend so much"]]: Karin's husband begged her to give him another chance several days after she whipped out divorce papers on their latest family gathering in response for being constantly picked on and compared to his attractive ex-girlfriend by both him and his parents for so long. However, Karin had none of it and kept waiting for him to sign the papers.
** [[https://youtu.be/_53I8J3bvvI "Everyone was confused because the bride was replaced with her sister"]]: Thomas became a pathetic groveling mess towards Kelly after his wife Michelle, her mother, and himself snapped from the stress they went through as a result of having substituted Michelle for her sister Kelly on the latter's wedding day.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxhbnDzS3d8 "My wife said she was working overtime again, so I told her to enjoy her last affair"]]: After her lover was sued into oblivion for compensation and divorced by his own wife after his cheating was exposed, OP's wife begs him for another chance and promising she won't cheat on him again. However, the OP won't have any of it and exposed her cheating to her own family.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UTZrbhB2wY "Cheating Fiancée impregnates his lover, so we broke up..."]]: After Jack was forced to engage with Rose after the OP dumped him for cheating on her, he sent her messages whining about Rose and begging for the OP's forgiveness. When he finally divorced Rose, he tried to get back with the OP only to find out she was married to Jack's coworker.

** In season one, he was also apologising a lot in order to get back together (and elope) with Aziraphale after the bandstand breakup scene.

* In season 2 of ''Series/GoodOmens2019'', Crowley performs the "I was wrong" dance for Aziraphale after they had a fight. In season one, he was also apologising a lot in order to get back together (and elope) with Aziraphale after the bandstand breakup scene. Apparently, Aziraphale did the dance in 1650, in 1793, and in 1941.

* ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'': Turned back into a human, and unable to stand up, Bruce Banner asked the Ultimates not to hurt him, repeating his nonsense about giving the team a foe to fight. He got a well deserved kick in the face.

* ''Film/IShotAndyWarhol'': Paul Morrisey falls down and pleads for his life after Valerie goes on her shooting spree. In other contexts he could look like a DirtyCoward, but the film is a realistic account of true events and he truly has no other chance to survive.

* ''Literature/TheOtherworld'': In ''Haunted'', Kristof issues Eve an ultimatum: stop trying to communicate with [[OurGhostsAreDifferent the living]] or he'll leave her, because he can't be with someone who's slowly destroying herself like that. He catches her red-handed and sadly walks away. Later Eve realizes she's thrown away the one good thing in her life in pursuit of an unreachable goal. She goes to him with a simple yet sincere, "I fucked up."

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3xrHDV-LEM Chihiro]] waited at the doorstep of Mary and Kent's house to beg the latter to marry her since she sank in debt after losing money in a foreign exchange trade and begged him a million yen to pay the traders back.

* ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' Has Bloo give one of these to Mac when he discovers that Bloo has been sneaking off to play at [[RoyalBrat Barry]] [[AlliterativeName Bling's]] house. It all works out, especially when it's revealed that Barry is [[spoiler:[[{{Yandere}} Berry.]]]]

** The Free Planets Alliance is full of these with the government and military. One being Admiral Rockwell, who kneels to Reinhard after he [[spoiler:executes Chairmen Rebello in hopes of getting into the Kaiser’s good graces]]. Too bad for him, the Kaiser has none of that and has him immediacy executed.

''Literature/LegendOfTheGalacticHeroes'':

When done poorly, this trope can be seen as demeaning or emasculating the offender. The penalty is too harsh for the crime, and the apology is too extravagant for such a minor offense. On the other side of poorly done, this trope can [[WhyWouldAnyoneTakeHimBack make the forgiver appear weak]]. If reparations have not been made, [[EasilyForgiven a simple apology]] may be letting [[KarmaHoudini the offender off too easily]]. In real life, the DomesticAbuse cycle often consists of abuse - apology - abuse, which may imply that [[InferredHolocaust the abuse will continue]].

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* In ''Film/TheBluesBrothers'', Jake Blues delivers one of these (in the form of a HurricaneOfExcuses) to the fiancée he left at the altar. She forgives him and they kiss passionately - only for him to then drop her in the mud and run off again.

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* "betty" by Music/TaylorSwift is about a guy named James groveling to the titular Betty about cheating on her. He says that his fling wasn't anything serious, he wants her back, and he's sorry for what he did to her.

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* In ''VisualNovel/War13thDay'', Ambrosia has to [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim break up]] with Arsenik to keep him safe. His first thought is that it's his fault.
-->'''Arsenik:''' Please, Miss Ambrosia. Do you want to see me beg? Because I will from upon my knees –
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-->-- '''''Literature/TheDamnedUnited'''''

* Wrestling/KevinSteen to Wrestling/BryanDanielson after the latter's victory allowed him to terminate Steen's Wrestling/ProWrestlingGuerilla contract. It worked when he stated all he had left was Wrestling/{{CZW}}.[[/folder]]

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* ''VisualNovel/MagicalDiary'' has Damien pull some ''massive'' grovelling, both in-person and via letters, after the VillainousBSOD that results from his [[spoiler:attempt to kill you]]. Not that this affects how your friends will react if they find out that you've forgiven him, of course.

[[folder: Visual Novels]]
* In ''VisualNovel/War13thDay'', Ambrosia has to [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim break up]] with Arsenik to keep him safe. His first thought is that it's his fault.
-->'''Arsenik:''' Please, Miss Ambrosia. Do you want to see me beg? Because I will from upon my knees –

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* ''Webcomic/CheckPlease'' has an implied version. When Kent asks Jack to forgive him and play for the Aces with him, even stating he misses him, but Jack refuses. Whether it was meant as romantic or not is up to interpretation.
* Referenced in the ''Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal'' comic [[http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2090 "The Graphvella,"]] with a series of figures showing the integrity of romantic relationships before and after "man humiliates self in charming and expensive manner".

[[folder: WesternAnimation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' Has Bloo give one of these to Mac when he discovers that Bloo has been sneaking off to play at [[RoyalBrat Barry]] [[AlliterativeName Bling's]] house. It all works out, especially when it's revealed that Barry is [[spoiler:[[{{Yandere}} Berry.]]]]
* The aptly named Grovel, robot servant to the alien Quark on ''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse'', goes to his hands and knees going "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" every time his name is called.

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* During the run-up to England's 1976 UsefulNotes/{{Cricket}} Test series against the West Indies, English captain Tony Greig had the following to say:
-->"You must remember that the West Indians, these guys, if they get on top are magnificent cricketers. But if they're down, they grovel, and I intend, with the help of Closey[[note]]England teammate Brian Close[[/note]] and a few others, to make them grovel."
The comment incensed the West Indians, who proceeded to annihilate England in the series. West Indies captain Clive Lloyd commented:
--> "The word 'grovel' is one guaranteed to raise the blood pressure of any black man. The fact they were used by a white South African made it even worse. We were angry and West Indians everywhere were angry. We resolved to show him and everyone else that the days for grovelling were over."