History Main / PleaseSpareHimMyLiege

But it's usually more successful if done in the form of ego stroking ("Surely such a great king as yourself is wise enough...", "How could he possibly pose a threat to someone so great...?") or noting the [[SlaveToPR good PR]] it will bring ("Everyone would know what a kind sovereign you are...") than by trying to appeal to [[TheGoodKing any good nature]] ("If you just listen to your heart..."). Even if they agree, the prisoner may just be tossed into TheAlcatraz instead ([[Literature/TheVicomteDeBragelonne Iron Mask]] optional). A character who begs this way will be AintTooProudToBeg.

* The Burghers of Calais are a particularly well noted RealLife example. (Read about it [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Burghers_of_Calais here]].)

* Queen Philippa, wife of [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfPlantagenet Edward III]], successfully interceded with her husband for the lives of six French men. During the UsefulNotes/HundredYearsWar, these six men - known as 'the burghers of Calais' - agreed to let Edward execute them in exchange for his no longer besieging Calais. Philippa, however, pleaded with Edward to spare the burghers if the town surrendered. He agreed, and all of the residents of Calais were allowed to leave unharmed. The plight of the six {{Sacrificial Lion}}s was commemorated in a statue by Auguste Rodin.

* In ''Film/MortalKombat'', when Liu Kang denounces [[PhysicalGod Raiden]] as a mere beggar pretending to be the Elder God of Lightning, Liu Kang's grandfather begs Raiden as per this trope to forgive him.

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* ''WesternAnimation/JosephKingOfDreams'' has Judah and his brothers have Joseph, who is the Vizier of Egypt, release Benjamin from being arrested for a crime he didn't commit and beg him not to turn him into a slave for it would break their father's heart again.

** Mordred tearfully pleads with Arthur to spare his love interest, Kara. [[spoiler: When Arthur refuses, Mordred makes an unsuccessful attempt to help her escape. Her execution is what turns Mordred against Arthur. The kicker is Arthur (with some persuasion from Merlin) actually does offer to spare her if she repents. She refuses.]]
* In the episode of ''{{Series/Firefly}}'' "Shindig," Mal sword fights a man and is about to lose, but Inara tells that man that she will accept his offer to stay with him if he spares Mal's life. Which Mal, being a CombatPragmatist, [[SubvertedTrope takes as an opportunity to sucker-punch his opponent]].

* In the [[FanRemake AGD]] VideoGame/KingsQuestII, this is the correct answer to [[spoiler:one of the Cloud Spirit's tests.]]
** Also implied in VideoGame/KingsQuestIV on Edgar's part when Rosella is brought before Lolotte.

* In ''Videogame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', this can happen in the Sith Warrior's Alderaan storyline. When confronting a Republic-allied general for information, the player can choose to execute her soldiers one by one until she starts talking. The very first one you start choking turns out to be her lover which causes her to immediately fold and beg for his life, at which point you're given the option of sparing them or continue killing them all for putting you through all that trouble.

* A couple decades later, the same king received a similar plea from his third queen, Jane Seymour, for the rebels in the Pilgrimage of Grace. Unfortunately, Henry had changed considerably since the "Evil May Day" incident, and this time, the plea was not as well received...

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* Lampshaded in ''The Furies'' (1950) where proud Juan Herrera chooses death by hanging rather than see his friend Vance, daughter of cattle baron T.C., humiliate herself.

* After the culprit in the fourth case of ''VisualNovel/SuperDanganronpa2'' is found guilty, [[spoiler:Sonia]] begs [[HangingJudge Monokuma]] to spare his life out of a combination of [[LoveInterest being in love with him]] and [[spoiler:[[SomeoneHasToDie the altruistic motive]] of the SuicidePact that the killer and the victim were speculated to have made.]] [[FaceDeathWithDignity The killer willingly accepts his execution in spite of her pleas]]-- not that Monokuma would have been willing to be lenient regardless.

* Possible on the Light Side path of ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords''. Queen Talia wants to execute her traitorous cousin Vaklu, but the Exile has the option (being a Jedi and all) to convince her to let him stand trial instead. Note that this is '''optional'''. You suffer no alignment penalty if you let him die.

* During the course of ''WesternAnimation/TheBlackCauldron'' fic ''Fanfic/HopeForTheHeartless'', [[AllLovingHeroine Avalina]] ends up several times begging [[VillainProtagonist the Horned King]] (her captor who's been [[ResurrectedForAJob resurrected]]) not to kill or hurt several other characters.

* During the course of ''Disney/TheBlackCauldron'' fic ''Fanfic/HopeForTheHeartless'', [[AllLovingHeroine Avalina]] ends up several times begging [[VillainProtagonist the Horned King]] (her captor who's been [[ResurrectedForAJob resurrected]]) not to kill or hurt several other characters.

* Maid Marian, in the Disney animated version of ''Disney/RobinHood,'' pleads with Prince John for Robin's life when he is captured after the archery contest.

* The main character of ''Videogame/FireEmlemFates'' pulls one in an attempt to spare two prisoners at the beginning of the game. [[spoiler: It doesn't appear to work at first, when their brother Leo seemingly kills the prisoners in their place. As it turns out, Leo purposefully only knocked them out to spare them anyways.]]

* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' has feudal relationships as one of its background themes, so this situation appears. [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20030115 Agatha begs the Baron to spare Dr. Beetle]].[[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090429 Zola begs Agatha to spare Gil]] (her only really nice moment). [[SubvertedTrope Not that either attempt was really necessary]]; the Baron considered Beetle too useful to execute even if he ''had'' committed treason (and was rather annoyed when Gil ended up semi-accidentally killing Beetle in self-defense) and Gil is Agatha's LoveInterest.

* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' have feudal relationships as one of background themes, so this situation appeared too. [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20030115 Agatha begs the Baron to spare Dr. Beetle]].[[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090429 Zola begs Agatha to spare Gil]] (her only really nice moment). [[SubvertedTrope Not that either attempt was really necessary]]; the Baron considered Beetle too useful to execute even if he ''had'' committed treason (and was rather annoyed when Gil ended up semi-accidentally killing Beetle in self-defense) and Gil is Agatha's LoveInterest.

* In ''Series/{{Merlin}}'' King Uther is tricked into believing that his son Arthur has been placed under an enchantment by Guinevere, and orders her burnt at the stake as a witch. Arthur begs for her life, but the more hysterical he gets, the more Uther is convinced that he's truly under a spell.

** Merlin also begs Arthur to change his mind about [[spoiler:banishing Gwen.]] It doesn't work.

* The climax of the classic English poem ''[[http://www.literaryplaces.co.uk/?p=351/ Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight]]'' is this appeal to Oliver Cromwell. The poem is itself based on an apparently true story, though it took place during UsefulNotes/TheWarsOfTheRoses instead of the UsefulNotes/EnglishCivilWar.

[[quoteright:280:[[Anime/TheRoseOfVersailles https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/marie_pleading.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:280:Being royalty herself, UsefulNotes/MarieAntoinette knows how it's done.]]

* Pictured: In ''Anime/TheRoseOfVersailles'', when Louis XV wants to execute André for UsefulNotes/MarieAntoinette's accident. She recovers, and successfully persuades the king that André did nothing wrong.

This is when you beg the monarch, or whoever is in charge, to spare the life of someone set to be executed or given AFateWorseThanDeath.

** Although this same God agreed to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if 50 righteous people were found living in it. Abraham (who was pleading for the life of the city) was able to negotiate God down to 10 righteous people. Unfortunately, the only halfway decent people living in the city were Lot and his family (and even [[ValuesDissonance Lot offered his virgin daughters as rape-toys to his violent neighbors]] in order to save the lives of a couple of houseguests). Needless to say, Sodom and Gomorrah didn't stand a chance.

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* The traditional ballad "Geordie" centers on a wife pleading with the king for her eponymous husband's life. In one version, her plea is denied, and he is hanged for horse theft or poaching. In the other, he's accused of murder (the song says he was framed), and his wife rides to see the king with all her armed retainers. This plea succeeds, and she ends up paying a large fine instead of starting a civil war.
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** In ''Henry V'' it's {{inverted}}: the conspirators against Henry argue ''against'' mercy for an enemy of the king, so that when he reveals their guilt, Henry takes immense delight in telling them that [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor they have convinced him that mercy is a bad idea.]]
** Also in ''Henry V'', Pistol pleads for the life of Bardolph, who has been sentenced to death for looting a church. Both Fluellen and Henry refuse to pardon him.

* After the culprit in the fourth case of ''VisualNovel/SuperDanganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'' is found guilty, [[spoiler:Sonia]] begs [[HangingJudge Monokuma]] to spare his life out of a combination of [[LoveInterest being in love with him]] and [[spoiler:[[SomeoneHasToDie the altruistic motive]] of the SuicidePact that the killer and the victim were speculated to have made.]] [[FaceDeathWithDignity The killer willingly accepts his execution in spite of her pleas]]-- not that Monokuma would have been willing to be lenient regardless.

* After the culprit in the fourth case of ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'' is found guilty, [[spoiler:Sonia]] begs [[HangingJudge Monokuma]] to spare his life out of a combination of [[LoveInterest being in love with him]] and [[spoiler:[[SomeoneHasToDie the altruistic motive]] of the SuicidePact that the killer and the victim were speculated to have made.]] [[FaceDeathWithDignity The killer willingly accepts his execution in spite of her pleas]]-- not that Monokuma would have been willing to be lenient regardless.

[[quoteright:280:[[Manga/RoseOfVersailles https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/marie_pleading.jpg]]]]

* Pictured: In ''Manga/RoseOfVersailles'', when Louis XV wants to execute André for UsefulNotes/MarieAntoinette's accident. She recovers, and successfully persuades the king that André did nothing wrong.

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** ''WebAnimation/RoseOfVersaillesAbridged'' spoofs this. Marie tries it as a JediMindTrick; the King is only partly affected, but he sighs and lets André go anyway.

* Rowena/Margaret did this to save Erika from the wrath of Richter after he found out his sister was in love with Kazuya, the pilot of ''{{Anime/Daimos}}''.

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-->'''Vance:''' Do you want me to beg? Do you want me on my knees to you for his life?
-->'''T.C.:''' I'd hang him anyway.
-->'''Vance:''' That's what he said.
-->'''T.C.:''' He did, eh? He always was smart.
-->'''Vance:''' And you're not! You're old and foolish and you're made a mistake -- [[WomanScorned it's me you should have hung!]] Because now I hate you in a way I didn't know a human could hate! Take a good long look at me, T.C. You won't see me again [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge until the day I take your world away from you!]]
* In Film/TheManInTheIronMask, D'artagnan pleads with King Louis to spare the life of [[spoiler:his twin brother, Philippe]], doing so in the name of his long years of devoted service, during which he never Louis asked for ''anything''. [[spoiler:It doesn't work, but Philippe escapes death via an inspired bit of BriarPatching, and is instead thrown in jail, where he is swiftly rescued by Aramais, Athos, Porthos, as well as D'artagnan, who has undergone a FaceHeelTurn]].

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** A couple decades later, the same king received a similar plea from his third queen, Jane Seymour, for the rebels in the Pilgrimage of Grace. Unfortunately, Henry had changed considerably since the "Evil May Day" incident, and this time, the plea was not as well received...

* In ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'': after the sister of Turgon, King of Gondolin, is wounded by her husband Eöl; she manages to convince Turgon to spare him. Since she dies in the night (the weapon was poisoned), Turgon is not so merciful in the end...