History PlayingWith / TreacheryIsASpecialKindOfEvil

** A traitor, a {{rap|isaspecialkindofevil}}ist, a {{kinslay|ingisaspecialkindofevil}}er, a [[HateCrimesAreASpecialKindOfEvil hate criminal]], and a [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil slave owner]] all attempt to outdo each other in terms of being the {{eviler|thanthou}} person.

** The punishment for for espionage is death. Any enemy convicted receives a soldier's death by firing squad, as they died serving there country. Any citizen however, receives the shameful death of hanging.

** Tom betrays TheEmpire to TheGoodKingdom. His former allies now hate him even more than the already established heroes.

** The punishment for for espionage is death. Any enemy convicted receives a soldiers death by firing squad, as they died serving there country. Any citizen however, receives the shameful death of hanging.

** Even without holding back, [[UnskilledButStrong Tom isn't the most skilled fighter]], is ultimately defeated. He doesn't just get punished for treachery, [[DoWrongRight but also incompetence]].

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* '''Straight''': Tom has committed a few murders, but his most heinous crime is considered to be betraying TheGoodKingdom to TheEmpire.

** Tom betrays TheGoodKingdom to TheEmpire. Even The Empire [[EvenEvilHasStandards is disgusted by his actions]] and [[RewardedAsATraitorDeserves has him executed]].

** There's an unwritten rule that rightfully convicted traitors are never pardoned and never have their sentences commuted. However, treason is one out of four crimes to get this treatment, with the other three being {{rape|IsASpecialKindOfEvil}}, {{slavery|IsASpecialKindOfEvil}} and {{poison|IsEvil}} murder.

** Treason is the only crime punishable by death. However, in practice, most traitors get jail sentences no worse than those of any other criminals.

** Even though Emperor Evulz is a CompleteMonster, he makes a big show of his loyalty and of killing traitors on the spot - not because he has an actual moral objection to betrayal, but because his society's hatred of traitors is so powerful that these actions are enough to make him a VillainWithGoodPublicity.

** The hatred for and paranoia about traitors lead to a WitchHunt in which the alleged traitors - most of whom are innocent - are brutally punished.

** The captured innocent ultimately prove their loyalty by hunting down traitors that are actually guilty.

* '''Played For Drama''': Tom lives in TheEmpire and hates it, but if he tries to join TheGoodKingdom instead, everyone will see him as a vile traitor.

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%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
%%
%%* '''Reconstructed''': ???

** Tom murders dozens of his fellow citizens to cover up his treason. A traitor is already considered irredeemably evil, so why hold back?

* '''Subverted''': Treason is the only crime punishable by death. However, in practice, most traitors get jail sentences no worse than those of any other criminals.

* '''Defied''':

* '''Conversed''':

* '''Straight''': Tom has committed a few murders, but his most heinous crime is considered to be betraying TheKingdom to TheEmpire.

** Tom betrays TheEmpire to TheKingdom. Even though his betrayal was vital to The Kingdom's eventual victory, everyone wants him dead once the war is over.
** Tom betrays TheKingdom to TheEmpire. Even The Empire [[EvenEvilHasStandards is disgusted by his actions]] and [[RewardedAsATraitorDeserves has him executed]].

** When TheKingdom is occupied by TheEmpire, {{The Quisling}}s and their fellow [[LesCollaborateurs collaborators]] are slightly more despised than the actual occupiers.

** Tom's treason could, directly or indirectly, lead to the deaths of many of his fellow citizens in war. It could also contribute to the takeover of TheKingdom by TheEmpire, which is not exactly interested in the well-being of Tom's countrymen. Therefore it makes sense to view Tom's treason as worse than murder.

** Tom betrays TheKingdom, and angrily explains that "sticking it to that dumb king" is in no way comparable with murder, which he would ''never'' commit.

* '''Zig Zagged''': Traitors from TheKingdom are treated as evil. Traitors from TheEmpire are sometimes sympathetic, depending on their motivation.

* '''Lampshaded''': Two random citizens of TheKingdom talk about how weird it is that you'd have to commit genocide to get the same punishment as a traitor.

** Tom is looking to make the hero with a ThouShaltNotKill rule defy his principles. Knowing that TreacheryIsASpecialKindOfEvil, he betrays TheKingdom the hopes that this will drive the hero into a murderous rage.

* '''Played For Laughs''': Tom is subjected to the harshest punishment TheKingdom has to offer, which is reserved for traitors. It's [[CoolAndUnusualPunishment a two-year soap opera marathon]].
* '''Played For Drama''': Tom lives in TheEmpire and hates it, but if he tries to join TheKingdom instead, everyone will see him as a vile traitor.

** There's an unwritten rule that rightfully convicted traitors are never pardoned and never have their sentences commutated. However, treason is one out of four crimes to get this treatment, with the other three being {{rape|IsASpecialKindOfEvil}}, {{slavery|IsASpecialKindOfEvil}} and {{poison|IsEvil}} murder.

'''Basic Trope''': An in-universe belief that betrayal is a particularly vile crime.

* '''Averted''': Tom's treason is treated as morally reprehensible, but no more or less so than the numerous acts of murder and torture he has previously engaged in.

%%* '''Reconstructed''': ???
%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???

* '''Downplayed''': When TheKingdom is occupied by TheEmpire, {{The Quisling}}s and their fellow [[LesCollaborateurs collaborators]] are slightly more despised than the actual occupiers.

* '''Deconstructed''': Tom murders dozens of his fellow citizens to cover up his treason. A traitor is already considered irredeemably evil, so why hold back?