History Main / HourglassPlot

%%%* Thomas Hardy's 1886 novel ''The Mayor of Casterbridge''.

* [[spoiler: Severus Snape and James Potter]] in ''Literature/HarryPotter''. In the beginning, [[spoiler: Snape]] is the neglected but overall sweet boy who befriends muggle-born Lily Evans. When they go to school, he becomes incredibly bullied by the cruel and arrogant [[spoiler: James Potter]]. Lily's friend spends more and more time retreating into the dark arts to escape his abuse, but becomes indoctrinated by the cause- one day in a fit of embarrassment, he calls Lily a slur because of her parents. Because of it, [[spoiler: Snape]] loses her friendship forever, despite secretly loving her. While [[spoiler: James Potter]] matures and becomes kinder and more heroic, eventually gaining Lily's hand in marriage, [[spoiler: Snape]] grows more and more meanspirited over the years, and spends his adulthood bullying schoolchildren the same way that was done to him.

''{{Angel}}'': Faith's return is a double example. She switches her role in the Good versus Evil battle with the now soulless Angel(us), as well as her outlook on life with the now cold and jaded Wesley.

* Shinji and Asuka go through an HourglassPlot in the last episodes of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. Then several more cycles in the ''End of Evangelion'' movie.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' features a WhatCouldHaveBeen example. Originally, it was planned to bring Faith back at the end of Season 6 and have her, TheAtoner fight with Evil Willow. As it was, they didn't fight, though Faith still gat an OhCrap moment where she saw Willow at full power.
** Speaking of Faith, her return in Season 4 of ''{{Angel}}'' is a double example. She switches her role in the Good versus Evil battle with the now soulless Angel(us), as well as her outlook on life with the now cold and jaded Wesley.

* ''VideoGame/SuikodenIV'' has this with [[HeroicMime Lazlo]] and [[TheScrappy Snowe]] [[WellDoneSonGuy Vingerhut]]. The worse off one gets, the higher the other rises. While Lazlo [[TheStoic copes with whatever hand he's dealt]], Snowe never seems to learn from his mistakes. [[spoiler: Eventually, though, he ''finally'' makes his HeelFaceTurn and actually starts learning from his experiences in retrospect. It just takes nearly the whole game to ''get'' him to that point.]]

* In ''Series/{{Carnivale}}'' Brother Justin is a preacher who slowly turns to the darkside upon the realization that he is TheAntiChrist, and also suffers from an unfortunate case of BadPowersBadPeople. Ben, an escaped criminal on the lam from the law, makes a parallel journey as he comes into his own powers as TheMessiah.

** On a broader level Rachel and Monica can fall into this. Before the series, Rachel was a AlphaBitch/RichBitch, engaged to be married, while Monica was a FormerlyFat poorly-paid assistant chef whose was constantly being told she'll die alone. During the series Rachel breaks off her engagement, works as a waitress and has a lot of disastrous boyfriends, while Monica works her way up the chef ranks (admittedly with a rough, unemployed patch in the middle) and builds a stable, fulfilling relationship. By Series 9, Rachel is a single-mother, has a good but not exceptional fashion job and a series of failed relationships (and a marriage) under her belt. Monica is a Head Chef at a very prestigious restaurant and HappilyMarried to her best friend, an equally great, successful guy. Things do improve for Rachel by the end of the series, but the contrast is still there.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': The episode [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE22JokersFavor "Joker's Favor"]] provides the current trope illustration. It begins with the Joker threatening to kill [[{{Everyman}} Charlie Collins]] after Charlie yelled at him for cutting him off in traffic, and ends with Charlie threatening the Joker with an ignominious death "blown to bits in an alley alongside a miserable little nobody".

** This happens to Zuko and Azula as well. Azula had always been in her father's favor; a remorseless, sadistic killing machine, expert chessmaster, and flawless fire-bender while Zuko was TheUnfavorite NobleDemon whose conscience made him too much of an outcast in the family. Zuko is eventually exiled from the Fire Nation and left longing for his father's acceptance, turning into a IneffectualSympatheticVillain after his many failures to catch Aang. [[spoiler: Zuko's character development helps him get over his torment over being neglected by his father, and an expert in fire-bending, and with Aang's help he winds up taking the throne to end the war and become a celebrated leader. Azula, meanwhile, is brushed off by her father and tossed aside when he begins his ploy for global conquest, and after being confronted by her deeply repressed conscience, manifesting as a hallucination of her mother, Azula regresses into a pitiful, insane child. She's eventually confined to a madhouse, tormented by her deeply delusional belief that her mother never loved her as much as Zuko. Even when her mother later apologizes, Azula still refuses to acknowledge her mother's love for her.]]

** This happens to Zuko and Azula as well. Azula had always been in her father's favor; a remorseless, sadistic killing machine, expert chessmaster, and flawless fire-bender while Zuko was TheUnfavorite NobleDemon whose conscience made him too much of an outcast in the family. Zuko is eventually exiled from the Fire Nation and left longing for his father's acceptance, turning into a IneffectualSympatheticVillain after his many failures to catch Aang. [[spoiler: Zuko's character development helps him get over his torment over being neglected by his father, and an expert in fire-bending, and with Aang's help he winds up taking the throne to end the war and become a celebrated leader. Azula, meanwhile, is brushed off by her father and tossed aside when he begins his ploy for global conquest, and regresses into a pitiful, insane child. She's eventually exiled to life in a madhouse, tormented by her deeply delusional belief that her mother never loved her as much as Zuko.]]

** This happens to Zuko and Azula as well. Azula had always been in her father's favor; a remorseless, sadistic killing machine, expert chessmaster, and flawless fire-bender while Zuko was TheUnfavorite NobleDemon whose conscience made him too much of an outcast in the family. Zuko is eventually exiled from the Fire Nation and left longing for his father's acceptance, turning into a IneffectualSympatheticVillain after his many failures to catch Aang. [[spoiler: Zuko's character development helps him get over his torment over being neglected by his father, and an expert in fire-bending, and with Aang's help he winds up taking the throne to end the war and become a celebrated leader. Azula, meanwhile, is brushed off by her father and tossed aside when he begins his ploy for global conquest, and regresses into a pitiful, insane child. She's eventually exiled to life in a madhouse, tormented by how her mother never loved her as much as Zuko.]]

* [[spoiler: Severus Snape and James Potter]] in ''Literature/HarryPotter''. In the beginning, [[spoiler: Snape]] is the neglected but overall sweet boy who befriends muggle-born Lily Evans. When they go to school, he becomes incredibly bullied by the cruel and arrogant [[spoiler: James Potter]]. Lily's friend spends more and more time retreating into the dark arts to escape his abuse, but becomes indoctrinated by the cause- one day in a fit of embarrassment, he calls Lily a slur because of her parents. Because of it, [[spoiler: Snape]] loses her friendship forever, despite secretly loving her. Meanwhile, [[spoiler: James Potter]] matures and becomes kinder, eventually gaining Lily's hand in marriage.

[[caption-width-right:257: BookEnds of the first and last acts of the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesJokersFavor "Joker's Favor"]]]]

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': The episode [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesJokersFavor "Joker's Favor"]] provides the current trope illustration. It begins with the Joker threatening to kill [[{{Everyman}} Charlie Collins]] after Charlie yelled at him for cutting him off in traffic, and ends with Charlie threatening the Joker with an ignominious death "blown to bits in an alley alongside a miserable little nobody".

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': The episode [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesJokersFavor "Joker's Favor"]] provides the current trope illustration. It begins with the Joker threatening to kill [[{{Everyman}} Charlie Collins]] after Charlie cut him off in traffic, and ends with Charlie threatening the Joker with an ignominious death "blown to bits in an alley alongside a miserable little nobody".

* ''SuikodenIV'' has this with [[HeroicMime Lazlo]] and [[TheScrappy Snowe]] [[WellDoneSonGuy Vingerhut]]. The worse off one gets, the higher the other rises. While Lazlo [[TheStoic copes with whatever hand he's dealt]], Snowe never seems to learn from his mistakes. [[spoiler: Eventually, though, he ''finally'' makes his HeelFaceTurn and actually starts learning from his experiences in retrospect. It just takes nearly the whole game to ''get'' him to that point.]]
* Delita and Ramza in ''FinalFantasyTactics'', who serve as foils to each other throughout most of the game. By the end of the story, [[spoiler: Ramza has abandoned his ties to the nobility entirely, while Delita has assumed the highest position of power within the aristocracy.]]

* The play ''PacificOvertures'' has two friends, one a samurai and the other a peasant with knowledge of the West, who wind up exchanging places. The samurai is made an ambassador of sorts with the foreign powers as Japan is forcibly opened to trade, and he becomes increasingly westernized in his dress and actions. Meanwhile the peasant, angry at the way Western powers are exploiting Japan, is promoted to the samurai class and becomes a hardcore anti-West reactionary. Tragedy ensues.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': The episode [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesJokersFavor "Joker's Favor"]] provides the current trope illustration.

* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', Jaina Proudmoore started out as the OnlySaneMan desiring peace between the Alliance and the Horde while Varian started out as a warmonger who wanted the Horde destroyed. Cue ''Mists of Pandaria'' and [[spoiler:the destruction of Theramore at Garrosh's hands]]. Now Jaina is the one who bitterly wants revenge on the Horde while Varian is trying a slightly more diplomatic approach. [[spoiler:Jaina even screws up Varian's attempt to bring the Blood Elves back into the Alliance by exiling them from Dalaran.]]

* In ''WhatAboutBob'', Bob Wiley starts off all-but-paralyzed by his various neuroses, while Dr. Leo Marvin is a psychiatrist who's just published a best-selling self-help book. Bob's interactions with the Marvin family helps him overcome his fears and learn to interact with normal society--eventually marrying Leo's sister, becoming a psychiatrist himself, and authoring his own book. Leo, meanwhile, becomes increasingly irritated and unhinged in response to Bob (in part because he feared that Bob was replacing him in his family's affections) and ends up catatonic. Though seeing Bob's and his sister's wedding apparently cures him.
* In ''{{Primer}}'', Aaron starts off as a family man and rather risk-averse (note the scenes where he worries about needing eye protection and warns his wife against using the first batch of ice from the new fridge). Abe starts off unmarried and rather more devil-may-care. Over the course of the film, access to a TimeTravel-powered ResetButton makes Aaron become more aggressive and willing to take risks, and he eventually leaves his family. Abe, on the other hand, becomes increasingly worried about the side-effects of time travel and oddly protective of Aaron's family.

* In the beginning of ''{{Dogma}}'', Loki is portrayed as the more ruthless and reckless, wanting to go on one more divinely righteous killing spree before re-entering heaven, while Bartleby is the one who feels compassion for the humans and is more reserved. However, halfway through Bartleby snaps and becomes an OmnicidalManiac bent on killing everyone, and it is Loki who is attempting to hold him back.

* In ''{{Carnivale}}'' Brother Justin is a preacher who slowly turns to the darkside upon the realization that he is TheAntiChrist, and also suffers from an unfortunate case of BadPowersBadPeople. Ben, an escaped criminal on the lam from the law, makes a parallel journey as he comes into his own powers as TheMessiah.

* You may have to squint a bit, but this was part of the CharacterDevelopment between Neo and Smith in ''Film/TheMatrix'' and its sequels. Or so the directors say, anyway: Smith picks up human emotions and independent goals (which he doesn't like) while Neo finds himself as a "cog in the machine" with a pre-destined goal (which also proves to be a bit of a drag).

* In the film version of ''Film/TheCountOfMonteCristo'', after his [[EtTuBrute betrayal of his best friend]], Fernand is set up with a beautiful wife and an inherited fortune and noble title, while Dantes is locked away in a prison for 16 years. After his escape and subsequent execution of his [[ThePlan plans for revenge]], Dantes is now the one with titular noble title, beautiful woman, and nigh-limitless fortune, with Fernand's fortune completely lost, his woman gone, and under threat of imminent arrest for murder and conspiracy.

* [[spoiler: Severus Snape and James Potter]] in ''HarryPotter''. In the beginning, [[spoiler: Snape]] is the neglected but overall sweet boy who befriends muggle-born Lily Evens. When they go to school, he becomes incredibly bullied by the cruel and arrogant [[spoiler: James Potter]]. Lily's friend spends more and more time retreating into the dark arts to escape his abuse, but becomes indoctrinated by the cause- one day in a fit of embarrassment, he calls Lily a slur because of her parents. Because of it, [[spoiler: Snape]] loses her friendship forever, despite secretly loving her. Meanwhile, [[spoiler: James Potter]] matures and becomes kinder, eventually gaining Lily's hand in marriage.

[[caption-width-right:257: BookEnds of the first and last acts of the WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries episode [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesJokersFavor ''Joker's Favor'']]]]

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': As you can see at the picture, at the episode [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesJokersFavor ''Joker's Favor'']] The first act ends with The Joker cruelly bullying pathetic victim Charlie Collins. Guess how the last act ends?