Chekhov's gun
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A Chekhov's Gun is a literary technique in which a fictional element (object, character, place, etc.) is introduced early and in which the author expects the reader to invest. That investment must 'pay off' later in the story even if the element disappears offstage for a long interval.
The history of devices supplied to the Hero in a classic quest, by beings who seem to have some kind of foreknowledge of what will be needed in the quest, is very old. For example, when Perseus sets out to kill Medusa, Athena and Hermes first supply him with winged sandals, a cap of invisibility, a sickle for removing heads, and a mirrored shield. He needs them all.
An excellent dramatic example can be found in the twin pistols of the title character in Henrik Ibsen's play Hedda Gabler, which make an appearance in the first act, but are not used to important effect until the last act.
In many of our modern classical tales of the hero, the same plot device is used. As an example from the mid-20th century (J.R.R. Tolkien): when Bilbo gives Frodo Baggins a vest made of mithril, or when Galadriel gives him a magic phial, we know both of them will be needed eventually to save his life.
A now famous example of this narrative device is the obligatory scene in the James Bond film series, which has refined it in purer form from the books. For most of the films, Q, Bond's gadget maker, presents in detail the various special equipment the spy would be using for his mission. Thus introduced, each item typically proves a lifesaver for Bond in the field. This has the effect of linking the Bond tales with the classic style of Hero narrative.
Another example is a plotline in 24 (TV series), first mentioned in its first few episodes: Agent Jack Bauer's finding evidence that 3 of his co-workers, including the man who first recruited him and also the current Special Agent in Charge, Christopher Henderson, were accepting bribes. This is not mentioned again until much, much later; part of the way into Season 5, when Christopher Henderson is revealed to be one of the main villains of the season.
Other statements of Chekov's principle of drama
- "One must not put a loaded rifle on the stage if no one is thinking of firing it." Anton Chekhov, letter to Aleksandr Semenovich Lazarev (pseudonym of A. S. Gruzinsky), 1 November 1889.
- "If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. Otherwise don't put it there." From Gurlyand's Reminiscences of A. P. Chekhov, in Teatr i iskusstvo 1904, No 28, 11 July, p. 521.’
- "If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it's not going to be fired, it shouldn't be hanging there." From S. Shchukin, Memoirs (1911)
- See also: "Three uses of the knife", by David Mamet.
Chekhov's guns in Modern Literature
- In Harry Potter, several objects and characters play such a role. Many small-time referenced characters have been mentioned in earlier books of the series only to be fully materialized in the later volumes. Such characters include Sirius Black, Arabella Figg and Mundungus Fletcher.
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