The So-Called Coward/Playing With

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Basic Trope: A character is widely believed to be a coward. He isn't.

  • Straight: Because Jeff refuses to respond to Miles' taunts and fight him 'like a man', Jeff is branded a coward by the locals in his community. Until Miles and his friends push him too far by attacking him and his wife Laura -- whereupon Jeff, much to the shock of everyone, promptly hands Miles and the other bullies a beat-down they'll never forget.
  • Exaggerated: Miles is a braggart who has stolen the credit for a heroic action that was in fact committed by Jeff, simultaneously painting Jeff as a coward. Jeff becomes the ridicule of the town but refuses to speak up and defend himself or his reputation, losing the respect of all but a few. Then, circumstances similar to the original catastrophe occur; while Miles hides in a cowardly panic, Jeff silently proves himself a hero.
  • Justified: Jeff is a quiet and modest man who does not believe in boasting, and believes that actions speak louder than words. He feels he has nothing to prove to anyone except himself.
    • Jeff is pacifistic in nature; he won't pick a fight, but he'll fight if necessary.
    • Jeff is the veteran of a war which permanently soured and sickened him on violence, and he refuses to engage in violent actions for trivial reasons.
    • Jeff is simply timid in personality. He really is more easily frightened then most people. But when his friends get in trouble he'll step right up.
  • Inverted: Jeff is a Miles Gloriosus.
  • Subverted: Jeff is branded a coward, but responds in a fashion that indicates that he has hidden reserves of courage that no one can see. Then a crisis strikes... and it turns out Jeff is a coward after all.
  • Double Subverted: Just because Jeff feels fear doesn't make him a coward; he hesitates like anyone would, but proves himself a hero after all.
  • Parodied: Jeff is constantly doing heroic things, but somehow no one notices.
  • Deconstructed: Just because Jeff has 'proven' himself a hero and earned the townspeople's respect doesn't mean that they have earned his; their quickness to believe that he was a coward simply because he refused to play their games to "prove" his masculinity only shows them as superficial, foolish and unworthy of respect. And Jeff is quick to tell them this.
    • Jeff doesn't consider himself a hero; "proving" himself has come at the cost of violating a principle Jeff held sacred, and he considers himself a failure because of this.
    • Jeff dies as a result of his heroism, prompting those who mocked him to realize that they will never have an opportunity to make amends to him.
    • A single act of heroism still isn't enough to gain the respect of the townspeople, who've already made up their mind about him.
  • Reconstructed: The townspeople are genuinely ashamed of their treatment of Jeff and sincerely attempt to make amends to him. Gradually the wounds are healed.
  • Zig Zagged: ???
  • Averted: Jeff's nature is open and he is not considered a coward.
  • Enforced: The network executives want their show to be "family friendly" and teach kids to try and avoid violence. The protagonist must always run or hide from fights for the first 40 minutes of the show. He's only allowed to kick ass at the climax.
  • Lampshaded: "There goes Jeff -- the yellowest man in the county." "I wouldn't be too quick to judge, brother; something tells me that man has Hidden Depths..."
  • Invoked: Jeff is the subject of slander that suggests that he is a coward.
  • Defied: Jeff is constantly proving his heroism to those around him.
  • Discussed: "I don't care if they call you a coward; I know you're not, and you know you're not, and that's all that matters."
  • Conversed: "In these stories, the guy everyone calls a coward always turns out to be the bravest man around."

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