Follow TV Tropes

Following

Playing With / I Wished You Were Dead

Go To

Basic Trope: Character A wishes that character B were dead. Character B dies, and character A feels guilty.

  • Straight: Gwen wishes that Andrew were dead. He dies of an illness three months later, and Gwen blames herself for his tragic death.
  • Exaggerated:
    • Gwen wishes that Andrew were dead. He dies of an illness three months later, and Gwen lives with the guilt for the rest of her life.
    • Gwen wishes that several people she knows were dead, and ends up blaming herself for all of their deaths.
  • Downplayed:
    • Gwen wishes that Andrew would break his arm. He breaks his arm, and Gwen feels guilty about her wish.
    • Gwen wishes that Andrew were dead. When he dies, she feels slightly guilty. Slightly.
  • Justified:
    • Gwen feels guilty about her wish, even if she knows that Andrew's death wasn't her fault.
    • Gwen doesn't know that Andrew's death wasn't her fault; she's superstitious enough to believe that making a wish like that caused it to come true.
    • Alternatively, Gwen actually did have something to do with Andrew's death. For instance, he was Driven to Suicide because Gwen told him that she wished he was dead, or Gwen actually killed him.
  • Inverted:
  • Subverted: Gwen wishes that Andrew were dead. He dies, but she regrets nothing.
  • Double Subverted: Gwen's friend Alice reveals that she recently made the same wish, and now regrets it.
  • Parodied:
  • Zig Zagged: ...but Gwen gets past her regret and wished Alice had died instead. Alice dies, and Gwen feels happy until police interrogate her, which she finally breaks down in tears...only to reveal that she pretended to break down in tears and wished the cops were dead...the cycle goes on.
  • Averted:
    • Gwen wishes that Andrew were dead. Nothing happens.
    • No one wishes anyone else any harm.
  • Enforced: "The fans are complaining about Gwen's hostility toward Andrew. What if she wished Andrew died and then regretted making the wish when Andrew's death actually happens?"
  • Lampshaded: "Why do you feel guilty, Gwen? Andrew's death wasn't your fault."
  • Invoked:
    • Andrew and Gwen have a major argument shortly before Andrew dies unexpectedly.
    • Andrew kills himself just to make Gwen feel guilty.
  • Exploited: ???
  • Defied:
    • Gwen never wishes that Andrew were dead, even if she resents him.
    • Gwen has herself hypnotized to forget about Andrew.
  • Discussed: "Why do you think I would be remorseful? I've always hated Andrew, and I'm glad he's dead."
  • Conversed: "This show is so cruel to Gwen. She doesn't deserve all that guilt."
  • Implied: Andrew vanishes with no In-Universe explanation, and Gwen feels guilty about something.
  • Deconstructed: Because of Andrew's death, Gwen believes that she has the ability to wish death on people.
  • Reconstructed: Alice and Bob convince Gwen that Andrew's death was not her doing.
  • Played For Laughs:
  • Played For Drama:
    • Gwen is Driven to Suicide.
    • Gwen really did love Andrew, and it was just a silly fight in which she said she wished he was dead. Cue angst.

Back to I Wished You Were Dead

Top