'''Basic Trope''': A husband or wife rapes their spouse.
* '''Straight''': Bob tries to initiate sex with his wife Alice, but for whatever reason(s), she is not in the mood. When she turns him down, he scowls, picks her up, throws her on the bed, rips her clothes off and has his way with her.
* '''Exaggerated''':
** Bob rapes Alice to death.
** Bob rapes Alice several times.
** Every married man in the work does this.
** Alice's [[AbusiveParents parents]] force her to [[ArrangedMarriage marry]] Bob, knowing his predatory tendencies, and tell her she will "never have a choice in the bedroom."
** Bob is in a [[UsefulNotes/ForTheLoveOfMany polygyny marriage]] and he rapes both Alice and Carol.
* '''Downplayed''':
** Bob molests Alice.
** [[ManipulativeBastard Bob]] presses her limits, but never [[QuestionableConsent technically]] forces her.
* '''Justified''':
** This couple lives in NoWomansLand, where expectations in their [[ValuesDissonance culture regarding marriage, sex, and gender roles]] cause Bob to think that he is [[EntitledToHaveYou entitled to sex with Alice and may just take it if she won't give it to him.]]
** Irrespective of gender, their society assumes [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implied_consent#Spousal_rape implied consent]] with regards to sex within marriage -- i.e. the marriage vow is taken as consent to any sex within marriage, whether the other partner wants it or not at any specific time.
** The population is declining, and fewer men are willing to marry (or even be in contact with) women. [[NecessarilyEvil The government is desperate to get more men to raise family and populate.]]
** AliceAndBob are not in a healthy marriage.
* '''Inverted''':
** AliceAndBob have consensual marital sex.
** Alice rapes Bob and has her way for him.
** Bob rapes everyone ''except'' his wife.
** Bob insists that it would be wrong to have sex with Alice after they got married.
** Bob stops raping Alice after they marry.
* '''Subverted''':
** Alice resists Bob's advances, but then gives in.
** It sounds like Bob is raping Alice, but [[NotWhatItLooksLike it turns out]] it's [[ShowWithinAShow just the TV show they're watching.]]
** It seems like Bob is raping Alice, but then she says, "Red," and he stops. AliceAndBob are into BDSM, and this was a scene.
** AliceAndBob are not married, but they are in a relationship, maybe even engaged.
* '''Double Subverted''':
** Alice gave in to Bob's advances [[LieBackAndThinkOfEngland because she felt pressured.]] She worried that if she failed to fulfill her wifely duty, even just this once, Bob would cheat on her or [[ToiletSeatDivorce divorce her.]]
** Alice initially is interested in Bob's roleplay games, but his increasingly aggressive behavior outside of the bedroom makes her feel that Bob is no longer acting under a persona but really wants to hurt her.
** Bob feels entitled to sex with Alice because of her status as his girlfriend or fiancée.
* '''Parodied''': Bob kisses Alice all of the sudden, and she overreacts as if he had raped her.
* '''Zig Zagged''': The [[UsefulNotes/{{Consent}} consensuality]] between the two remained ambiguous.
* '''Averted''':
** Bob never rapes Alice.
** Alice and Bob [[SexlessMarriage don't have]] sex [[ChastityCouple at all.]]
** Alice clearly consented to Bob.
** It was clear right from the beginning that they are doing roleplay and it was SafeSaneAndConsensual.
** Alice and Bob are not married, and not in a romantic relationship with each other.
* '''Enforced''':
** The setting of the story demands it.
** The author wants to show that Alice and Bob's marriage is [[AwfulWeddedLife unhealthy and unsafe]].
** [[BlueAndOrangeMorality The author sincerely believes that a husband can rape his wife]], because she is legally married to him, and marriage usually comes with certain expectations.
** The author firmly believes that a husband ''cannot'' rape his wife just because they're married, and wants to do [[AnAesop a point about it.]]
* '''Lampshaded''':
-->'''Bob''': [[LoopholeAbuse It counts as rape if it's a stranger, but not if it's your wife!]]\\
'''[[TheConscience Claire]]''': [[WhatTheHellHero It doesn't matter if she's your wife!]] She said no, and she has a right to say no!
* '''Invoked''': AllMenArePerverts, especially Bob. He married Alice thinking he would be within his rights to sleep with her whenever he wanted.
* '''Exploited''': Alice uses this as a way to threaten and control Bob.
* '''Defied''':
** Alice decides to give sex a chance.
** When Alice turns down Bob's sexual advances that night, Bob feels disappointed, but accepts it and just goes to bed, watches some TV, or masturbates to porn instead; he doesn't rape Alice or coerce her into sex.
** Bob doesn't make sexual advances towards Alice that night in the first place, either because ''he'' isn't in the mood, or can tell she isn't in the mood, or both.
** Alice trains to become stronger than Bob, so there's no way in hell he could even try to rape her without getting a broken arm in the process.
** Alice gets the help she needs, and files for divorce from Bob. (If she takes him to trial, in this case, he is found guilty of a crime and [[LaserGuidedKarma punished accordingly.]]) If she decides to pursue romance again, she makes sure that her new guy has nothing but the utmost respect for her and her wishes and treats her well.
* '''Discussed''': "Is it considered rape if you're married?"
* '''Conversed''': "Why do men always get away with rape on this show? That would never happen in RealLife."
* '''Implied''': Alice and Bob are shown to be in an unhealthy relationship, and Alice covers herself constantly when she is near him.
* '''Deconstructed''':
** This is a form of DomesticAbuse; one still has the right to say no to sex, even to one's spouse. It might be [[RapeAsDrama all the worse]] for Alice because people honestly buy into this, leaving her without a support system to rely on. Because people buy into this, Bob will most likely [[KarmaHoudini get off scot-free.]]
** When this trope came to light, no men wants to marry, knowing that even after marriage, [[SexlessMarriage they may not have sex.]]
* '''Reconstructed''': Men worried about this all make sure to marry women who have high sex drives.
* '''Played for Laughs''': BlackComedyRape, NotIfTheyEnjoyedItRationalization
* '''Played for Drama''': Bob doesn't know he has one or more sexually transmitted illnesses, and [[AccidentalMurder unknowingly gives it to Alice.]]
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