Deathtrap (plot device)

A deathtrap is a literary and dramatic plot device in which a villain, who has captured the hero or another sympathetic character, attempts to use an elaborate and usually sadistic method of murdering him/her.

Spoofs

The concept of the deathtrap/monologue is featured in many satires. For instance, it was spoofed heavily in the Austin Powers movies, including a replication of James Bond's Shark Infested Water deathtrap, which is escaped by swinging on a grapple of dental floss. As part of the spoof, one of the villains insists that the deathtrap is pointless and a more effective means of killing the heroes would be to simply use a pistol, which he has nearby.

Related Topics:
Satire - Austin Powers - James Bond

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James Bond movies have included so many deathtrap/monologue scenes that a card game entitled Before I Kill You, Mr. Bond was developed. Players, to score points, must read "taunt" cards that mimic many of the improbably situations Bond was found in.

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