The word “trope” has to do with a repeated theme, pattern, or figure of speech. The trope meaning is often used in literature and poetry to describe the use of words, phrases, and other literary devices that have been overused.

The word “trope” has to do with a repeated theme, pattern, or figure of speech. The trope meaning is often used in literature and poetry to describe the use of words, phrases, and other literary devices that have been overused.

 

WHAT IS A TROPE

What Is a Trope?

The word “trope” is derived from the Greek word “tropos,” which means to turn.

A trope in literature is defined as a recurring theme or a literary device that can be found in many different texts.

Tropes often refer to archetypes, stereotypes, themes, motifs, and symbols that are used over and over again.

 

 

This blog post will explore how some tropes are considered clichés while others can be seen as clever writing techniques.

You will also learn about some of the most common tropes that occur in literature today!

Trope Meaning

Don’t you just love those TV shows where the protagonist is always one step ahead of the villain? You know, they are onto them from the beginning and have a plan in place for every situation.

It’s great when we can see through all of their tricks before they happen. Well, that’s not how life works – there are no villains or heroes; it’s simply about human beings with flaws trying to do the best they can to make it through each day.

The word “trope” is defined as a type of literary device used primarily in drama and film (but also occasionally in prose fiction). Trope meaning typically refers to recurring themes.

What is your favorite movie trope? The one that you can’t help but roll your eyes at when it appears in a film.

For me, it’s the “trust falls”  scene. I know this is supposed to be an uplifting scene where two people who have been mistrusting each other finally find common ground and start trusting again…but come on! It’s just so clichéd and predictable!

Tropes are used often by filmmakers because they provide audiences with familiar storylines they know will engage them from their first viewing; however, many critics argue that too much reliance is on these cliches.

It’s often used to create familiarity with the audience because they recognize it as being familiar from their past experiences.

Trope Meaning explores some of the different types of tropes and what they may mean for you and your writing.

This blog post will describe different types of tropes such as “The Chosen One” and where these are found in media like movies, books, music, etc.

Macguffin Trope Examples

In order to understand what this term means, we first need to break down its name.

“Mac” refers to any item that has been misplaced and needs to be found again; “Guff” refers to anything superfluous or nonspecific (e.g., nonsense).

So a macguffin could refer to something such as finding lost keys or solving a mystery; even though these are not important things in themselves, they are just objects which keep driving the protagonist forward without revealing their true self.

It may be something as specific as a person (the most common type) or an idea such as peace on Earth. The term was coined by Alfred Hitchcock to describe a particular kind of plot device used in his films.

Before we get into the meat of this blog post, I want to define what a Macguffin is. A Macguffin is a plot device that motivates characters and readers alike without taking on any real significance in itself.

There are many examples of MacGuffins in pop culture such as Indiana Jones’s search for the Ark of the Covenant or Jack Sparrow’s hunt for Captain Flint’s treasure.

The term comes from the Hitchcock film “The 39 Steps.” In this film, Richard Hannay (played by Robert Donat) learns of a spy ring in Britain’s Ministry of Defense and decides to investigate.

He becomes involved with three women who are out to stop him: one woman wants revenge for her father’s death; another wants to get an incriminating letter back from him; and the third needs money for her foundling home.

So begins his adventures as he tries to figure out what the spies want with documents at Scotland Yard, which leads him on a wild chase across England while evading capture.

Western Movie Tropes

The Western movie genre is one that has had a ton of tropes and cliches over the past century. This blog post will go through some of these tropes and provide examples for each one.

Western movies are often characterized by their use of guns, horses, open plains, cattle rustling, saloons-and cowboys.

It’s not surprising that this genre has been so popular throughout history since it taps into our love for adventure and heroes who are willing to put themselves in danger to do what’s right.

Western Movie Tropes are a dime-a-dozen. From the classic shoot outs to the over dramatized fistfights, it seems like every movie is trying to make its audience feel as if they’re in an old west town.

Unfortunately, this often leads to tropes that filmmakers have been using for years and audiences are getting sick of hearing about them.

Here’s a list of some of those tropes:

1. The Hero

This character is typically someone who has lost everything or is experiencing hardship and must find redemption by fighting for what he/she believes in;

2. The Lone Rider

Sometimes also known as “The Man With No Name”, this character usually wanders from town to town on his horse.

Growing up as a child of the 80s, I was inundated with Western movie tropes. The lone cowboy riding into town on his horse to save the day, the heroic outlaw in black and white; these are images that have been ingrained in my mind since childhood.

However, upon further inspection, it becomes clear that those images are not nearly as innocent as they seem. It is important to examine these tropes critically and understand their origins.

Trope Examples

There are many tropes in the world of movies that have been used over and over again. Making a list of them can be difficult, but we’re going to try anyway. Here is an incomplete list of some common movie tropes:

-The protagonist doesn’t know they possess or have latent powers until they find themselves in need  -A group of friends/teens must band together against a common enemy or event while being hunted by those who fear their power -An evil genius has captured the protagonist’s father and he sets out on his journey to save him from certain death

If you’re like me, then you love a good trope. But if I’m being honest with myself, I know that sometimes tropes can be overused and lose their significance.

   

The first trope is “love at first sight”. This is when two people meet for the first time and are immediately drawn to each other without any previous knowledge of who they are or what they look like.

An example would be from one of my favorite movies: ”When Harry Met Sally.”

Another common trope is that someone always has to die so there’s drama and tension throughout the storyline.” “An example would be Romeo & Juliet”.

Some examples of these include the “lone wolf” and “loser.” And there are a lot of common trope examples you might find in popular media, such as movies, books, TV shows, etc., and provides a brief definition for each one.

Difference Between Tropes & Cliches

The difference between tropes and cliches is not always clear. Some people believe that a trope is something that has been done before, while others think of it as a device or literary convention.

A cliche is an expression, phrase, or idea that’s overused to the point of losing its original meaning.

But the two are often used interchangeably in everyday language and can be hard to distinguish from one another when reading novels, TV shows, movies etc.

Tropes and cliches are two of the most commonly used devices in storytelling. Tropes are often considered to be a good thing because they can create expectations that can then be subverted for the sake of surprise or humor, but many people dislike them as well.

The same goes with cliches, which have become so ubiquitous that some people find it difficult to read through anything without spotting one.

It’s worth noting that there is a difference between tropes and cliches-clichés are overused phrases while tropes are narrative elements such as stock characters or plot devices-but both have their critics and defenders.

However, you’ll find these two terms being used interchangeably in today’s society with people not understanding the difference between them.

Origin Of Trope

It’s an unfortunate truth that the origin of many words and phrases is unknown. But we can trace some back to their original sources.

“Trope” is one such word; it derives from the Greek trope, which means a turn or twist in thought or expression.

The use of this word in English has changed over time, but it still retains its original meaning as well as other meanings related to repetition.

One of the most popular pieces of advice for writers is “show, don’t tell.” But where did this idea come from?

Who first came up with it and what was their reasoning? It’s not an easy question to answer because trope is a word that has been around since the 17th century.

The earliest meanings were related to speech patterns and figurative language. In later centuries, this meaning shifted to become associated with literary devices like clichés or stock phrases.

And in more recent years, people have started using the term “trope” as shorthand for any common plot point or character type.

So how do we know when something is a trope and when there’s just a cliche phrase? A trope can be defined as a figure of speech that turns or twists something in order to create an artistic effect. This essay will explore how this definition still applies today, specifically through examples and definitions of some common tropes such as irony and sarcasm.

Almost every art form has a set of cliche or generic elements that are used to make it easier for the artist to create.

This is known as a trope, and these tropes can be found in everything from music, film, theater, and novels. A trope is something that people will recognize because they’ve seen it so many times before.

The origin of tropes can often be traced back to cultures all over the world and throughout history.

For example, zombies have been around since at least 1726 when Jamaican writer Edward Long wrote about them in his book “The History Of Jamaica.”

Zombies continue to frighten us with their unending hunger today through films like Night of the Living Dead (1968) which was directed by George Romero.

The Importance Of Tropes

Have you ever read a book and found yourself thinking, “I’ve seen this before!”? Tropes are themes that have been used in so many different stories that they seem to be universal.

In fact, some scholars believe that tropes are the driving force behind storytelling itself. This blog post will explore how these often-used narratives show up in our favorite books, movies and TV shows.

As if life wasn’t difficult enough already, the media we consume makes it even more complicated.

There are so many tropes that exist in our culture that we find ourselves falling into without realizing what’s happening.

Tropes can be used as an effective tool when writing because readers will have some idea of where your story is going, but it also has their disadvantages.

They have been used since ancient times and many people use them without realizing it. It is important to understand what they are because they can be useful for authors who want to convey a certain message through their work.

For example:

  • The protagonist has an amazing power that he/she never knew about until he/she was introduced to it by accident (Harry Potter).
  • A character is obsessed with something or someone so much that they start becoming strange and obsessive (Twilight).

Know Your Cliches

Clichés can be great for adding humor or being able to convey an idea concisely. It’s not uncommon for people to use cliches when they talk. For the most part, these phrases are harmless and often have a positive connotation.

However, once in a while there are cliches that we all need to be wary of. As a writer, it is important to stay away from any words that carry a one-dimensional meaning such as “I was born with music inside me,” because if everyone says it then no one can relate to it anymore.

Do you know your cliches? It’s important to learn the meanings of some of these phrases because they are so prevalent in our everyday lives.

Take for example, “it goes without saying.” This phrase typically means that something is obvious and needs no explanation.

There are many other expressions we use on a daily basis that may not be as well-known or have such an easy translation.

If you’re not careful, cliches can be used all too easily. To avoid this, take a look at the following list of common cliches to see if any apply to your writing:

  • “a storm is brewing,”
  • “at the end of the day,”
  • “high-end luxury goods”, and
  • “the bottom line.”

These are just some examples.