History Literature / Maskerade

* ChessWithDeath: As usual Death dislikes the traditional game, so Granny challenges him to a hand of poker instead for a boy's life. She wins, though it's implied that Death let her, because he's ''on our side''. Death had four "ones" -- an ace can either be counted as below the deuce or above the king. She also fixes his arm for him with her chiropractic know-how.

* {{Fainting}}: Christine is a master of feminine fainting, with Agnes' inner monologue sourly noting that it's something she's intelligent about, considering how she managed to do so with such precision that it likely didn't even hurt.

* BrainlessBeauty: Christine is a heavy parody of the trope.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: [[spoiler:Andre]] being a secret policeman becomes this after ''Literature/NightWatchDiscworld''. While most of this isn't too much of a problem - it makes sense for Vimes would recruit undercover policemen - there's a whacking great problem with the name. Specifically, the idea that he would ''ever'' create anything even ''approximating'' a secret police division that's named the 'Cable Street Particulars' after the reveal of what the [[ANaziByAnyOtherName original Particulars were like]] makes about as much sense as UsefulNotes/MahatmaGandhi advocating the foundation of a Fourth Reich. You can probably just blame the History Monks for that one.

* {{Tuckerization}}: Colette, of the "fascinatin' earrings" is based on BigNameFan and convention organizer Colette Reap, who once wore a pair of Clairecraft [[http://www.anorankh.demon.co.uk/afp/anorankh.html Anorankh]] pins as earrings to a signing.

* BrickJoke: From [[Literature/LordsAndLadies four books ago]]. In preparation for his wedding to Magrat, Verence tried to get a book on "[[TheTalk marital arts]]", but ended up with one on ''martial'' arts instead. Apparently he has since succeeded, since Nanny found such a book in the castle and spent a few minutes [[MustacheVandalism drawing moustaches]] on all the illustrations.

* ChandelierSwing: When Greebo is chasing the Opera Ghost around the Opera House.

* GeniusDitz: Christine has all the skills and traits needed to be a legendary opera Diva...save for the actual singing part. Which fortunately isn't all that important nowadays.

* AlanSmithee: "Walter Plinge" is used as a fictitious actor name in cast lists in British theatre, when it is necessary to avoid a major plot twist of the TwoAliasesOneCharacter type being SpoiledByTheCastList. The real-life Walter Plinge was said to be a pub owner in London who a group of actors honored by using his name in this manner.

* TakeThat: One might be forgiven for suspecting that [=PTerry=] may have had some financial differences of opinion with his publishers. Nanny initially pays Mr Goatberger to publish her book for her; when copies start flying off the shelves, the most she gets for it (until [[NeverMessWithGranny Granny intervenes]]) is her money back, plus three extra dollars which were apparently sent by mistake. Goatberger, whose dream (like all those who publish books) is to have have so much gold in his pockets that he has to employ two people just to hold his trousers up, is incredulous at the suggestion that authors should be ''paid'' for their work.

* {{Adorkable}}: Walter Plinge, until [[spoiler: his Ghost persona is made the dominant one.]] Agnes seems disappointed, as Walter was fundamentally ''nicer'' before that happened.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: [[spoiler:Andre]] being a secret policeman becomes this after ''Literature/NightWatchDiscworld''. While most of this isn't too much of a problem - it makes sense for Vimes would recruit undercover policemen - there's a whacking great problem with the name. Specifically, the idea that he would ''ever'' create anything even ''approximating'' a secret police division that's named the 'Cable Street Particulars' after the reveal of what the [[ANaziByAnyOtherName original Particulars were like]] makes about as much sense as UsefulNotes/MahatmaGandhi advocating the foundation of a Fourth Reich.

** Commander Vimes does this off-screen. He sends Detritus and Corporal Nobbs to act as "undercover officers" in the last act of the book. The attention on them leaves the ''real'' undercover officer, [[spoiler:André]], free to get on with things.

* ButHeSoundsHandsome: When the Ghost offers "Perdita" singing lessons thinking she's Christine[[note]]Christine and Agnes switched rooms, but he can't tell because it's dark and Agnes decides to play along to find out what he wants[[/note]] she can't resist telling him, "Perdita is a lot better than me". She quickly comes to regret it, because, with his natural BrutalHonesty, he responds by telling her precisely why he doesn't consider Perdita worth his time. To be exact, while Perdita is an incredibly talented singer, whose talent he genuinely admires, she's also a fairly textbook BrawnHilda. And while he can train Christine to be as good as Perdita (he later modifies this once he finds out the truth, admitting that Christine won't ever be ''quite'' as good as her, not even after many months of one to one tuition), he can't train Perdita to be as slim, pretty, and graceful as Christine.

* {{Fainting}}: Christine is a master of feminine fainting, with Agnes' inner monologue sourly noting that it's something she's genuinely intelligent about, considering how she managed to do so with such precision that it likely didn't even hurt.

* ItsAllAboutMe: Christine, [[SelfishGood not because she's a bad person]] (she appears to be genuinely fond of Agnes/Perdita) but because thanks to her chronically short attention span/lack of brains, [[LawfulStupidChaoticStupid she can't really comprehend anything more complex than her own immediate interests]]. This leads to a strange dichotomy with her being able to pick up stage-tricks like conveniently learning to faint in a dramatic pose whenever something "operatic" happens, but limits her ability to realize that Agnes is pretending to be her voice:

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: [[spoiler:Andre]] being a secret policeman becomes this after ''Literature/NightWatchDiscworld''. While most of this isn't too much of a problem - it makes sense for Vimes would recruit undercover policemen - there's a whacking great problem with the name. Specifically, the idea that he would ''ever'' create anything even ''approximating'' a secret police division that's named the 'Cable Street Particulars' after the reveal of what the [[ANaziByAnyOtherName original Particulars were like]] makes about as much sense as UsefulNotes/MahatmaGandhi advocating the foundation of a Fourth Reich. However, ''Night Watch'' takes place after/during time shattering, so it's possible to {{handwave}} this as a side effect of history being put together imperfectly.

-->''In the scullery, [[Obfuscating Stupidity Nanny Ogg]] smiled to herself.''

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Nanny Ogg not only has [[Obfuscating Stupidity"a mind like a buzzsaw behind a face like an elderly apple"]] which she goes to some lengths to hide, but also a serious ruthless streak. Sharp remarks from her are described like "being bitten by a friendly dog".

--> '''Agnes''' ''(to Walter)'': But it was ''me'' you taught!

-->''In the scullery, [[ObfuscatingStupidity Nanny Ogg]] smiled to herself.''
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Nanny Ogg not only has "a mind like a buzzsaw behind a face like an elderly apple" [[Obfuscating stupidity]] which she goes to some lengths to hide, but also a serious ruthless streak. Sharp remarks from her are described like "being bitten by a friendly dog".

** "Walter Plinge" is used as a alias for actors in British theatre cast list, when it is necessary to avoid a major plot twist of the TwoAliasesOneCharacter type being SpoiledByTheCastList. The twist here being [[spoiler:Walter is one of the characters pretending to be the opera ghost]].

* BrickJoke: From [[Literature/LordsAndLadies four books ago]]. In preparation for his wedding to Magrat, Verence tried to get a book on "[[TheTalk marital arts]]", but ended up with one on ''martial'' arts instead. Apparently he has since succeeded, since Nanny found such a book in the castle and spent a few minutes drawing moustaches on all the illustrations.

* ArmorPiercingResponse: This exchange between Walter and Agnes has a devastating but utterly true one:

--> '''Walter''': Then you were ''very'' good. I suspect she will never be quite that good, even with many months of my tuition. But, Perdita, have you ever heard of the words "star quality"?

--> '''Walter''': It is rarer.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Nanny Ogg, "a mind like a buzzsaw behind a face like an elderly apple". Sharp remarks from her are described like "being bitten by a friendly dog".
-->''And don't go thinking I'm nice. I'm only nice compared to Esme, but so is practic'ly everyone.''

* BrutalHonesty: One the Ghost's defining character traits, with responses to questions tending to be along these lines. He's not doing it to be cruel, but some of his responses can be absolutely ''vicious'' in their accuracy, particularly in his response to Agnes (pretending to be Christine in the dark) when she says [[ButHeSoundsHandsome (correctly) that "Perdita" is much better than 'her' (Christine)]].
* ButHeSoundsHandsome: When the Ghost offers "Perdita" singing lessons thinking she's Christine[[note]]Christine and Agnes switched rooms, but he can't tell because it's dark and Agnes decides to play along to find out what he wants[[/note]] she can't resist telling him, "Perdita is a lot better than me". She quickly comes to regret it, because he responds by telling her precisely why he doesn't consider Perdita worth his time. To be exact, while Perdita is an incredibly talented singer, she's also a fairly textbook BrawnHilda. And while he can train Christine to be as good as Perdita (he later modifies this once he finds out the truth, admitting that Christine won't ever be quite as good as Perdita, not even after many months of one to one tuition), he can't train Perdita to be as slim, pretty, and graceful as Christine.

* ChekhovsSkill: When Granny calculates the royalties Nanny should be getting, the text notes that she's "keenly numerate" because she suspects anyone using numbers is trying to get away with something. At the end of the novel[[spoiler: she quickly deciphers the Opera House accounts book, which has been carefully curated by Salzella to conceal his embezzlement.]]

* ContrivedCoincidence: Played for laughs when someone's long-lost love shows up at the very end, with no real impact on the plot. Hey, that's how opera works.

* DoesNotLikeSpam: Basilica has gotten incredibly sick of pasta, but he can't tell anyone he hates it because it's part of his makeover as a singer from Brindisi.

* DoorDumb: Either the person singing Porta Maledetta (literally "Damn Door" in [[FantasyCounterpartCulture Italian, er, Brindisian]]) is Door Dumb or the person who labeled the door in the first place was, because it's labeled Pull and indeed she is pulling...perhaps it should be marked Push? (Then again, it sticks no matter what the hell she does.)

* DudeNotFunny: In-universe example. Salzella makes several jokes about people who have just been murdered; Mr. Bucket finds them distasteful. [[spoiler: This takes on a whole new meaning after the reveal Salzella was the one who did the murders]].

* {{Fainting}}: Christine is a master of feminine fainting.

* {{Flynning}}: Shown and mentioned between the two ghosts, until it becomes deadly real.
** Except, in true Discworld fashion, they're ''still just Flynning''.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Henry Slugg from Ankh-Morpork becomes Enrico Basilica from Brindisi, because "the trick is to make sure that everywhere you go, you are from somewhere else." Later, Andre claims that he "...used to teach music to the Seriph's children in Klatch" indicating he isn't who he claims to be.

* HumanityEnsues: The human-form Greebo the cat from ''Literature/WitchesAbroad'' reappears, pressed into service as Granny's fake paramour and bodyguard.

* HypocriticalHumor: The villain gives a long FinalSpeech about how ridiculous opera conventions like the long FinalSpeech are. This comes not long after he claims to be the OnlySaneMan, using multiple exclamation marks (a sure sign of madness).
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Agnes.
** Or at least, she wants to be able to ''choose'' what she wants to stand out ''for''.

* ItsAllAboutMe: Christine, [[SelfishGood not because she's a bad person]] but because [[LawfulStupidChaoticStupid she can't really comprehend anything more complex than her own immediate interests]]. This leads to a strange dichotomy with her being able to pick up stage-tricks like conveniently learning to faint in a dramatic pose whenever something "operatic" happens, but limits her ability to realize that Agnes is pretending to be her voice:

* LongLastingLastWords: The death of opera director Salzella goes on, and on, and on for a ''long'' time...

* MaskOfConfidence: The Phantom, [[spoiler:Walter Plinge,]] is not suspected of what he is because without the mask he is acting like an altogether different person.

-->You can recognize him because he's got a mask on? You recognize him because you ''don't'' know who he is?

* MotiveRant: [[spoiler: Salazella gives one after being revealed before dying.]]

* NoodleIncident: The scene where Nanny Ogg takes over serving drinks during the opera and decides to take some revenge on behalf of Mrs. Plinge. The narration cuts away as she shakes up a couple of champagne bottles and steps out into the corridor, and picks up again as she ducks into a room while a lot of people run past. What, exactly, she did is never elaborated; some fairly simple scenarios are obvious, but Nanny wouldn't be a witch if she wasn't good at inventive cruelty.

** The villain has done this to the theater's account books. It ''looks'' like it's been slap-dashedly put together by people who don't think money is important, and the owner spends most of the story trying to work out what they were trying to record. When Granny gets time to look at it she realizes that it's been deliberately messed with to hide massive theft; for instance, she finds a page where the columns are misaligned to hide that they don't all have the same number of entries.

* RagingStiffie: Salzella and Bucket find it ... awkward ... to leave the table after sampling Nanny's Chocolate Delight with Special Secret Sauce, and when they do depart hurriedly, it's in a ''very'' hunched manner. Interestingly, it doesn't seem to have the same effect on Enrico Basilica, possibly because being face-deep in chocolate sauce has a deeper effect on him than the sauce's aphrodisiac effects normally have on people.

** There is a mention in Wyrd Sisters as well; Nanny can't magic the torture implements that are made of iron. It's also often been indicated that witch magic is much better at affecting things that are or once were alive, such as wood, than metal.

** Granny Weatherwax's observation, on arriving at Mrs. Palm's house, that Colette is wearing some very interesting earrings is an allusion to a prominent Pratchett fan, Colette Reap, who once attended a signing event wearing Ankh earrings
** "Walter Plinge" is a real-life pseudonym used by actors who don't want to be associated with early minor parts (similar to "A.N. Other") and the character's description clearly evokes Frank Spencer from ''Series/SomeMothersDoAveEm'' (Creator/MichaelCrawford, the first actor who played the musical version's Phantom, was once best known for that role).

** Mrs Lawsley would rather be at the music hall listening to Nellie Stamp sing "She Sits Among the Cabbages and Leeks". This is a reference to an urban legend that Marie Lloyd had a song which was originally "She Sits Among the Cabbages and Peas", but was changed to "Leeks" when MoralGuardians objected to the double meaning (but not, you will note, to actually remove that meanig in any way).

** When Agnes finishes one last yell, going from one side of the audible spectrum to the other, Nanny Ogg remarks "''Now'' it's over". [[DontExplainTheJoke Agnes is very large, and they're in an opera.]]

--> '''[[spoiler: Walter]]''': It is rarer.

* UndercoverCopReveal
* VillainousUnderdog: [[spoiler: Salzella]] is really just a guy, and he's going up against a pair of witches who were last seen sending the FairFolk packing. The only thing saving him is that exactly ''because'' he's not a terrifying magical menace, Granny considers it wrong for her to fight him directly.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: [[spoiler:Andre]] being a secret policeman becomes this after ''Literature/NightWatch''. While most of this isn't too much of a problem - it makes sense for Vimes would recruit undercover policemen - there's a whacking great problem with the name. Specifically, the idea that he would ''ever'' create anything even ''approximating'' a secret police division that's named the 'Cable Street Particulars' after the reveal of what the [[ANaziByAnyOtherName original Particulars were like]] makes about as much sense as UsefulNotes/MahatmaGandhi advocating the foundation of a Fourth Reich. However, ''Night Watch'' takes place after/during time shattering, so it's possible to {{handwave}} this as a side effect of history being put together imperfectly.