History Main / PlayingWithATrope

[[caption-width-right:345:An easy visual reference.]]

* '''Played Straight''': The trope is simply used.
** [[TheButlerDidIt The butler is the murderer.]] When the detective reveals this, everyone is genuinely surprised.

* '''[[JustifiedTrope Justified]]''': The trope has a reason InUniverse to be present. [[note]]Administrivia/TropesAreTools. Almost all tropes are justified in some way. If you put a Administrivia/JustifyingEdit after every trope that you see you'll be on TV Tropes for the rest of your life and annoy people, too. Justifications are only worth noting if the trope in question is not normally Justified, or if it's a Justification other than the normal one.[[/note]]

* '''[[InvertedTrope Inverted]]''': The trope (or its elements) are reversed and then used. Some tropes have more than one possible inversion.

* '''[[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]''': A trope is set up to occur, but then the writer pulls a fast one on the audience, and the trope does not occur after all.

* '''[[DoubleSubversion Double Subverted]]''': The trope is [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]], and then Subverted again so that it occurs after all.

* '''[[ParodiedTrope Parodied]]''': The form of the trope is twisted and used in a silly way, specifically for comic effect.
** Butlers learn their trade at butler college where they are taught [[BreadEggsMilkSquick cleaning, cooking, and murdering.]]

* '''[[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]]''': The intentional use and exploration of the trope, played far straighter than usual in order to show the trope as poorly thought out, impractical, or unrealistic. A Deconstruction does not always have to be a [[DarkerAndEdgier less nice]] version of the straight trope. It just points out the trope's flaws or how it's even possible.

* '''[[{{Reconstruction}} Reconstructed]]''': Reconstructed tropes are the new and improved Played Straight of an often [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructed trope]]. A Reconstruction admits the assumptions pointed out in Deconstruction, so it reassembles the trope into something that resembles the original to become useful again. In other words, this is the inversion of a Deconstruction.

* '''[[ZigZaggingTrope Zig Zagged]]''': None of the above, or more than one of the above; this category covers miscellaneous variations. Examples include a trope that gets triple subverted, both inverted and played straight at the same time, or, well, [[MindScrew just done confusingly]].

** There's a fifteen-page-long chart explaining [[TacticalRockPaperScissors how effective weapons with different glow intensities are against one another.]] And the authors ''still'' manage to do a complete AssPull every once in a while.
* '''[[AvertedTrope Averted]]''': The trope is simply absent from the work. It is not used, mentioned, or implied at all. As there are literally thousands of tropes, and ''many, many'' possible uses for most of those tropes, Aversions are generally not worth noting unless they are especially surprising, such as for a [[OmnipresentTropes nearly universally-used trope]] or a [[NecessaryWeasel trope that is very common in the genre]].

* '''[[EnforcedTrope Enforced]]''': The trope occurs solely because of outside expectations or obligations placed on the writer, such as ExecutiveMeddling or censorship.

* '''[[ImpliedTrope Implied]]''': The trope isn't shown, but the audience is indirectly led to believe that it happened off-screen.

* '''LogicalExtreme''': The trope is taken as far as it can logically go while still fitting within the description.

** The sword's blade is actually made from an [[{{Laser Blade}} energy beam]].

* '''[[ExaggeratedTrope Exaggerated]]''': The trope is used to an extreme. Note that this does not necessarily have to be used humourously--a trope can be exaggerated and still played completely seriously.

* '''[[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]''': The trope is used to a far lesser degree than typical.
** The butler did indeed do it... "it" being [[FelonyMisdemeanor leaving the toilet seat up.]] Or, he unknowingly assisted the murderer or was [[FelonyMurder criminally negligent]].

* '''PlayedForLaughs''': The humorous elements of a trope are played up. Differs from Parodied by being a straight use. Normally only applicable for serious tropes, but can show up for any trope.
** The butler did it, but it took him [[TheDeterminator three hundred and seventeen tries]] (of which we're [[ShowDontTell shown twelve]]), all of which his master escaped without realizing anything was happening (including the time when he walked up and shot his master, which the master [[ComicallyMissingThePoint passed off as]] "you could've hurt someone, mistaking that gun for a lighter.").

* '''PlayedForDrama''': The serious or melodramatic elements of a trope are played up. Normally only applicable for comedic tropes, but can show up for any trope.
** The butler did it, but is quite [[SympatheticMurderer sympathetic]], and the reasons he did it are gone into in great detail.

* '''PlayedForHorror''': The horrific elements of a trope are played up. Usually not applicable to horror tropes unless some further horror is played out with them.

* '''[[Administrivia/TropesAreFlexible Other Variations on a Trope]]''': Sometimes, the difference isn't in how the trope is played functionally, but in how it's presented. The trope is still being Played Straight, but it's dressed up in a way that's unique, often due to other tropes present in the story interacting with it to show the full picture. Especially memorable variations may sometimes [[EvolvingTrope evolve]] into {{Sub Trope}}s through other creators attempting to FollowTheLeader.

* '''[[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]]''': A trope is Played Straight and explicitly pointed out by one or more characters.

* '''[[InvokedTrope Invoked]]''': A character is GenreSavvy, and/or uses their knowledge of a trope as a reason for their own actions, hoping that the effect will come through.

* '''[[DefiedTrope Defied]]''': A character [[GenreSavvy recognizes a trope]] is about to happen, and takes steps to avoid it. It is not to be confused with an averted trope, which is never acknowledged and avoided by the characters.

* '''[[ExploitedTrope Exploited]]''': A GenreSavvy character, aware that a trope will occur (or is occurring), uses it to their advantage. If the trope is not yet in effect, the character who Exploits it may Invoke it in the process.

** The hero finds a sword with glow power [[MundaneUtility and uses it as a flashlight in a dark cave.]]
* '''[[DiscussedTrope Discussed]]''': The trope may or may not be used, but it is explicitly discussed by GenreSavvy characters in a relevant situation where it could occur.

* '''[[ConversationalTroping Conversed]]''': A conversation about tropes the characters have seen in another work, such as a ShowWithinAShow. Differs from a DiscussedTrope mainly in either its [[SeinfeldianConversation sheer irrelevance]], or being used purely to [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall lean on the fourth wall]].
** "These murder mysteries are too predictable. The butler always does it."

* '''[[TheUntwist Untwisted]]''': Sometimes, a Subversion is ''expected''. In an Untwist, the audience expects a trope to be Subverted, but it is Played Straight instead. The Inversion of a standard Subversion. Highly subjective; any plot development can become TheUntwist to a [[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife sufficiently paranoid reader.]]

* '''Unparodied''': This can mean one of two things: a ParodiedTrope is either {{Subverted|Trope}} into a straight use, or simply used seriously.

* '''{{Gender Inverted|Trope}}''': This is specific to AlwaysFemale and AlwaysMale tropes. A trope that is part of either category is used on the opposite gender anyway. This meta-trope doesn't apply to non-gendered tropes like TheButlerDidIt[[note]]Female butlers exist.[[/note]] and PowerGlows, but would to, say, a [[LittleOldLadyInvestigates Little Old Man Investigates]] mystery story.
* '''IntendedAudienceReaction''': An attempt by the creator to evoke a specific {{Audience Reaction|s}} from the viewers. As you may have guessed, this concept is not applicable to objective tropes such as TheButlerDidIt or PowerGlows, but a similar example might be the use of GratuitousSpecialEffects to emphasize that [[SeparateSceneStorytelling the story being told]] is grossly exaggerated.

** A butler appears but no crime occurs. Or there ''is'' a crime, but there is no butler. Or there is neither. Or the crime is stopped before the butler can commit it (which would be worth nothing, in contrast to the other examples).

* '''[[TheUntwist Untwisted]]''': Sometimes, a Subversion is ''expected''. In an Untwist, the audience expects a trope to be Subverted, but it is Played Straight instead. The Inversion of a standard Subversion. Highly subjective; any plot development can become TheUntwist to a [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife sufficiently paranoid reader.]]

** The hero or heroine's glowing sword occasionally starts to flicker and go out, and he or she has to [[PercussiveMaintenance smack it a few times]] to get it working again.

** [[MundaneMadeAwesome The hero or heroine activates the power in his or her sword]], but the glow is very faint.

* '''[[ExaggeratedTrope Exaggerated]]''': The trope is used [[UpToEleven to an extreme.]] Please note that this does not necessarily have to be used humourously -- a trope can be exaggerated yet still played completely seriously.

* '''[[ExaggeratedTrope Exaggerated]]''': The trope is used [[UpToEleven to an extreme.]] Please note that this does not necessarily have to be used humourously -- a trope can be exaggerated yet still played completely seriously.
** All the butlers in the city go on a killing spree, and nobody suspects a thing. Or, the butler is revealed to be a serial killer.
** The strongest weapons completely obscure the screen by their glow.
* '''[[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]''': The trope is used to a far lesser degree than typical.
** The butler did indeed do it... "it" being [[FelonyMisdemeanor leaving the toilet seat up.]] Or, he unknowingly assisted the murderer or was [[FelonyMurder criminally negligent]].
** [[MundaneMadeAwesome The hero or heroine activates the power in his or her sword]], but the glow is very faint.

** The butler did it, but it took him three hundred and seventeen tries (of which we're [[ShowDontTell shown twelve]]), all of which his master escaped without realizing anything was happening (including the time when he walked up and shot his master, which the master passed off as "you could've hurt someone, mistaking that gun for a lighter.").

** [[UnholyHolySword Only evil weapons glow, causing the user much angst.]]

* '''[[FeignedTrope Feigned]]''': A character convinces another that the trope is in effect, or has occurred, even though this is not the case.
** The murderer was the wife, but she successfully frames the butler for it.
** Honest John runs a successful business selling his trademarked glowing swords. But really the swords are no better than ordinary swords, and all those glowing customer reviews were written by Honest John himself.

* '''[[ReconstructedTrope Reconstructed]]''': Reconstructed tropes are the new and improved Played Straight of an often [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructed trope]]. A Reconstruction admits the assumptions pointed out in Deconstruction, so it reassembles the trope into something that resembles the original to become useful again. In other words, this is the inversion of a Deconstruction.

** The butler did it, but he was under MindControl at the time. And it later turns out that the one mind controlling the butler looked exactly like the butler. And then we find out that it was actually his EvilTwin, who was also a butler. But it turns out it was a conspiracy hatched by the Butler and his EvilTwin, one born of necessity because the victim was going to do something monstrous.

* '''[[DefiedTrope Defied]]''': A character [[GenreSavvy recognizes a trope]] is about to happen, and takes steps to avoid it.

** A butler appears but no crime occurs. Or there ''is'' a crime, but there is no butler. Or there is neither.
** The weapons do not glow. Or there are no weapons at all.

* TheButlerDidIt (committed the murder in a mystery story)

** A butler appears but no crime occurs. Or there ''is'' a crime, but there is no butler.

** Powerful weapons glow because the villains are [[LivingShadow sentient shadows]]. Or the weapon is a LaserBlade, which glows by its nature. ('''This trope is not normally Justified.''')

* '''[[JustifiedTrope Justified]]''': The trope has a reason InUniverse to be present. [[note]]TropesAreTools. Almost all tropes are justified in some way. If you put a Administrivia/JustifyingEdit after every trope that you see you'll be on TV Tropes for the rest of your life and annoy people, too. Justifications are only worth noting if the trope in question is not normally Justified, or if it's a Justification other than the normal one.[[/note]]

** "In a [[TheresNoBInMovie bad movie like this]], the more powerful swords always glow."

** A butler appears but no crime occurs. Or their ''is'' a crime, but there is no butler.

* '''[[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]]''': The intentional use and exploration of the trope, played far straighter than usual in order to show the trope as poorly thought out, impractical, or unrealistic. A Deconstruction is not always a [[DarkerAndEdgier less nice]] version of the straight trope. It just points out the trope's flaws or how it's even possible.

* '''[[ReconstructedTrope Reconstructed]]''': Reconstructed tropes are the new and improved Played Straight of an often [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructed trope]]. A Reconstruction admits the assumptions pointed out in Deconstruction, so it reassembles the trope into something that resembles the original and become valid again. In other words, this is the inversion of a Deconstruction.

{{Trope}}s can also be played differently in terms of tone and style:

[[GenreSavvy Specific]] characters (or the narrator) can also play with tropes:

Here are two rarer transformations:

And finally, two special cases:

The typical forms of using a trope include:

** A butler appears but no crime occurs. Or their ''is'' a crime, but the victim's manor doesn't have a butler.

* '''[[ReconstructedTrope Reconstructed]]''': Reconstructed tropes are the new and improved Played Straight of an often [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructed trope]]. A Reconstruction admits the assumptions pointed out in Deconstruction, so it reassembles it into something that resembles the original trope, but that would still work in reality. In other words, this is the inversion of a Deconstruction.

** A butler appears but is completely normal, and never involved in the story of the murder. Or the victim's manor does not have a butler at all. Or nobody was killed.