About: Ordered to Cheat   Sponge Permalink

An Entity of Type : owl:Thing, within Data Space : 134.155.108.49:8890 associated with source dataset(s)

This is when a character who wants to compete fairly and honestly is told not to do so by someone else. Sometimes, the character will be told to cheat in order to win. Other times, they will be told to deliberately lose. Both heroes and their antagonists can be in this position - all that's required is that their superiors or colleagues want the competition to be rigged for some reason. This reason is often just greed or pride, but doesn't have to be - there may be something genuinely important riding on the contest. Compare Secret Test of Character. Examples of Ordered to Cheat include:

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  • Ordered to Cheat
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  • This is when a character who wants to compete fairly and honestly is told not to do so by someone else. Sometimes, the character will be told to cheat in order to win. Other times, they will be told to deliberately lose. Both heroes and their antagonists can be in this position - all that's required is that their superiors or colleagues want the competition to be rigged for some reason. This reason is often just greed or pride, but doesn't have to be - there may be something genuinely important riding on the contest. Compare Secret Test of Character. Examples of Ordered to Cheat include:
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dbkwik:all-the-tro...iPageUsesTemplate
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abstract
  • This is when a character who wants to compete fairly and honestly is told not to do so by someone else. Sometimes, the character will be told to cheat in order to win. Other times, they will be told to deliberately lose. Both heroes and their antagonists can be in this position - all that's required is that their superiors or colleagues want the competition to be rigged for some reason. This reason is often just greed or pride, but doesn't have to be - there may be something genuinely important riding on the contest. If the character is being asked to win dishonestly, it implies that their ability is being questioned (or else they'd be able to win fairly). Whether or not this lack of confidence is justified is variable - sometimes, it will be plain that cheating is the only way to win, but other times, the character will genuinely believe in their abilities, and may well say "I know I can do this!" before getting overruled by someone who disagrees or who wants to play it safe. Sometimes, one side thinks they have no choice but to cheat because the other side will. When it's a hero who is ordered to win by whatever means necessary, they're quite likely to refuse. They'll often go ahead and win without cheating, demonstrating skill and honesty like the proper hero they are. This sometimes plays out with the hero initially appearing to lose, only for the bad guys to be exposed as cheats and stripped of their win. Less commonly, the hero will refuse to cheat and will really lose, preferring to keep their integrity intact even at the cost of their goal. If a hero is ordered not to win, for some reason, their decision to comply will probably be based on whether it really is for a good cause. In some cases, especially ones where the hero is being tempted with bribes or threatened with retaliation, refusing to throw the game will be presented as honourable and courageous. Other times, though, deliberately losing may actually be presented as the morally correct choice, as the hero may be sacrificing their pride for a greater goal. When it's a bad guy who is ordered to play dirty, their reluctance to do so may help build them up as a Worthy Opponent - they have genuine skill, and might even get along with the hero if they weren't on opposite sides. If ordered to cheat to win, they might perform at least a partial Heel Face Turn by defying their orders at the last minute and giving the hero a fair shot. The competition involved is often a sports event of some kind, so this often turns up as the main moral dilemma in a sports story. See also Unnecessary Roughness. Compare Secret Test of Character. Examples of Ordered to Cheat include:
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