Knowledge (XXG)

Quibble (plot device)

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would destroy a great empire. Croesus assumed that the seer meant that the Persian Empire would be destroyed and Croesus would triumph. He proceeded to attack the Persians, believing victory was assured. In the end, however, the Persians were victorious, and the empire destroyed was not Cyrus's but
208:. In a second prophecy, Macbeth is told that he has nothing to fear until Great Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Hill. He feels safe since he knows that forests cannot move, but is overcome when the English army, shielded with boughs cut from Birnam Wood, advances on his stronghold at Dunsinane. 221:, is forced to trade places with an impostor and swear never to reveal the truth to anyone, he tells his story to a horse while he knows that the heroine is eavesdropping. In the similar 99:
often contains clauses that allow the devil to quibble over what he grants, and equally commonly, the maker of the pact finds a quibble to escape the bargain.
259:, a male hobbit who distracted Éowyn by stabbing him with a Númenorean blade (created by a long-deceased man), as the Ringwraiths are harmed by such swords. 27:, used to fulfill the exact verbal conditions of an agreement in order to avoid the intended meaning. Typically quibbles are used in legal bargains and, in 217: 118:
and lost, forbids Brokk to take any part of his neck, saying he had not bet it; to avenge himself Brokk instead sews Loki's lips shut.
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would be wrong, and then works his way down to sparing the city for the sake of a single righteous one.
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can collect only if he sheds no blood, which is not physically possible. He also uses one in
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gets God to acknowledge that killing many righteous people alongside the sinners in
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that "none of woman born" shall vanquish him, as the latter character was born by
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in a court of law by pointing out that the agreement called for a
115: 107: 42: 333:, p 320 W. W. Norton & company, London, New York, 2003 71: 146:contains examples of legalistic quibbles. In 8: 16:Reliance on exact conditions of an agreement 247:states, "not by the hand of man will the 74:by adding descriptive text and removing 301: 299: 297: 295: 293: 289: 31:, magically enforced ones (for example 218:The Lord of Lorn and the False Steward 200:, despite it being prophesied by the 129:, he was told that going to war with 7: 251:fall." The Witch-king is slain by 14: 47: 182:, but no blood, and therefore 1: 331:The Annotated Brothers Grimm 307:The Encyclopedia of Fantasy 305:John Grant and John Clute, 373: 76:less pertinent examples 19:In terms of fiction, a 167:The Merchant of Venice 237:The Lord of the Rings 211:When the hero of the 357:Narrative techniques 276:, who is in fact an 249:Witch-king of Angmar 162:William Shakespeare 97:pact with the Devil 72:improve the article 240:, the prophecy of 164:used a quibble in 206:Caesarean section 93: 92: 364: 341: 327: 321: 303: 88: 85: 79: 51: 50: 43: 372: 371: 367: 366: 365: 363: 362: 361: 347: 346: 345: 344: 328: 324: 304: 291: 286: 269:Moving Pictures 264:Terry Pratchett 140: 131:Cyrus the Great 104:Norse mythology 89: 83: 80: 69: 52: 48: 41: 17: 12: 11: 5: 370: 368: 360: 359: 349: 348: 343: 342: 322: 288: 287: 285: 282: 228:The Goose Girl 180:pound of flesh 139: 136: 125:consulted the 91: 90: 55: 53: 46: 40: 37: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 369: 358: 355: 354: 352: 340: 339:0-393-05848-4 336: 332: 329:Maria Tatar, 326: 323: 320: 319:0-312-19869-8 316: 312: 308: 302: 300: 298: 296: 294: 290: 283: 281: 279: 275: 274:the Librarian 271: 270: 265: 260: 258: 254: 250: 246: 243: 239: 238: 232: 230: 229: 224: 220: 219: 214: 209: 207: 203: 202:Three Witches 199: 196:is killed by 195: 191: 190: 185: 181: 177: 173: 169: 168: 163: 159: 157: 153: 149: 145: 144:Old Testament 138:In literature 137: 135: 132: 128: 124: 119: 117: 113: 109: 105: 100: 98: 87: 77: 73: 67: 65: 61: 56:This article 54: 45: 44: 38: 36: 34: 30: 26: 22: 330: 325: 306: 267: 261: 235: 233: 226: 216: 213:Child ballad 210: 187: 165: 160: 141: 120: 112:bet his head 101: 94: 81: 70:Please help 58:may contain 57: 20: 18: 134:Croesus's. 25:plot device 284:References 245:Glorfindel 223:fairy tale 64:irrelevant 33:prophecies 278:orangutan 110:, having 60:excessive 351:Category 313:" p 796 311:Quibbles 84:May 2022 66:examples 39:Examples 198:Macduff 194:Macbeth 189:Macbeth 184:Shylock 176:Antonio 152:Abraham 148:Genesis 123:Croesus 29:fantasy 21:quibble 337:  317:  192:where 174:saves 172:Portia 127:Pythia 257:Merry 253:Éowyn 156:Sodom 121:When 116:Brokk 114:with 23:is a 335:ISBN 315:ISBN 150:18, 142:The 108:Loki 309:, " 266:'s 262:In 242:Elf 234:In 102:In 62:or 35:). 353:: 292:^ 280:. 225:, 215:, 170:. 106:, 95:A 86:) 82:( 78:. 68:.

Index

plot device
fantasy
prophecies
excessive
irrelevant
improve the article
less pertinent examples
pact with the Devil
Norse mythology
Loki
bet his head
Brokk
Croesus
Pythia
Cyrus the Great
Old Testament
Genesis
Abraham
Sodom
William Shakespeare
The Merchant of Venice
Portia
Antonio
pound of flesh
Shylock
Macbeth
Macbeth
Macduff
Three Witches
Caesarean section

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