Why no poison?

[Shadow1490]

O.K. that I'm even posting this means I have way too much free time but here goes:
Why is it that to my knowledge no main character(especially the good ones)  in any T.V. show or video game I've play/watched uses poison as a main ability? Just why is it that the evil characters are always the ones who debilitate their enemies? It works doesn't it?
Example: Big Guy with sword+poison=Dead body on floor

[ThomPhoenix]

Because poison is widely associated with evil. If you're good, you won't use poison. At least, that's what the good guys want you to think.

[Liadan]

Or females.

hmmm.... females = poison = evil?

[Shadow1490]

*sighs* Yeah but why is poison so widely assciated with evil is the question here. Any ideas?

[ThomPhoenix]

Because many poisons don't kill you, but just horribly mutilate you? Because they can cause horrible pain?
Poisons are sneaky, as you can kill someone when they're perfectly at ease and unsuspecting.

Also notice that only few poisons kill you quickly.

[Liadan]

I would also say that killing a person via poison is cowardly, ie you don't have the guts to kill the person in another way. And cowardness is one of the personality attributes that society, at least western society, categorizes as a negative attribute. And we also tend to glorify courage...so if someone can plunge the knife into the heart, it would be considered more courageous.


You could also extend that further by saying that often the good are protrayed as being courageous, and therefore less likely to use poison.

[neko kyouran]

Counterpoint, the good guys typically never kill.  So non killing poisons should be there friend?

[Shadow1490]

Because many poisons don't kill you, but just horribly mutilate you? Because they can cause horrible pain?
Poisons are sneaky, as you can kill someone when they're perfectly at ease and unsuspecting.

Also notice that only few poisons kill you quickly.

First I don't see how a poison would mutilate you. A poison won't rip off an arm. Besides killing someone when they're at ease would probably be easier their guard is down.

I would also say that killing a person via poison is cowardly, ie you don't have the guts to kill the person in another way. And cowardness is one of the personality attributes that society, at least western society, categorizes as a negative attribute. And we also tend to glorify courage...so if someone can plunge the knife into the heart, it would be considered more courageous.


You could also extend that further by saying that often the good are protrayed as being courageous, and therefore less likely to use poison.

Maybe poisons most don't kill. But they do weaken. And if you're trying to kill someone then that's to your advantage.  So is this simply saying that courage means a lack of tactical intelligence? Given that poison is essentially a weakness of most living things it makes sense to use it to give yourself an edge. Besides stabbing someone with a poisoned knife would still be stabbing they would just be weakened even further by poison.

[ThomPhoenix]

First I don't see how a poison would mutilate you. A poison won't rip off an arm. Besides killing someone when they're at ease would probably be easier their guard is down.

That's an injury/wound. I'm talking about poison-induced mutilation. Google it if you don't know what it means.

Maybe poisons most don't kill. But they do weaken. And if you're trying to kill someone then that's to your advantage.  So is this simply saying that courage means a lack of tactical intelligence? Given that poison is essentially a weakness of most living things it makes sense to use it to give yourself an edge. Besides stabbing someone with a poisoned knife would still be stabbing they would just be weakened even further by poison.

You use a poison if you want to severely hurt someone or if you want to kill them. Not to weaken prior to a sword-fight. It can also be used if you're not sure your attack will be successful, thus to maximize potential damage (think arrows, spears in traps).

Anyway, I think Liadan has an excellent point. I fully agree with it.

[Shadow1490]

I can't really see much of a difference between stabbing someone and poisoning someone. They're dead either way. Killing someone with a bladed weapon at close range (i.e. dagger/sword/spear) all you're doing is putting yourself at risk. Fighting someone when they're at full strength and not trying to weaken them is rather bad strategically, especially if you know they're stronger than you. Courage is kinda limit anyway, it'll only take you so far. Besides poison is a highly efficient weapon. Depending on the poison the effects are different and it lessens the risk created by going into combat.

[Liadan]

Counterpoint, the good guys typically never kill.  So non killing poisons should be there friend?

good guys typically never kill unless it's justified. if they did, they wouldn't be called good guys.

I don't think i need to spell out the rest of the logic, now do i?

[neko kyouran]

so "good guys" should use poison that incapacitates the "bad guy" so that the bad guy doesn't get hurt, but also it immobilizes them in a way, where they don't endanger others while being captured.

[Prolix]

Give me a break. Good guys use poison all the time. Tear gas is a poison, non-lethal in normal doses but it can still kill you. Ether or chloroform in a rag to incapacitate someone is another poison, maybe, though, todays "heroes" are too politically correct to use such things themselves. Alcohol is another poison used to get information, typically in non-lethal doses. Then there is the use of insidious rhetoric to poison their foes minds and turn them against each other. That is a little different but it goes to another meaning of the word.

It is the insidious quality of poison that makes its use to be considered evil. It can take a long time to kill you and you may never know why you are dying.

[SerqFeht]

Prolix got it pretty well. I'll make an example. A few years ago, and ex-Russian spy was poisoned in a sushi bar in London by his ex-comrades, who were afraid he was leaking information. (these details might be wrong. These things get warped over time) Anyways, this man suffered for a few days, then died. Actually I think a sword fight would have been better for the spies. It wouldn't have made international news. Well, anyways, poison is cowardly, and can't be guarded agauinsy effectively. You waste away, painfully, rather than a quicker death by weapon. Poison can blind you, remove function, cripple and paralyze. And again, it is too sneaky, too dishonorable, too cowardly... Is that a description of a "good guy?" In other words, the inherent qualities of poison are exactly the ones that society disrespects, therefore tying them toother disrespected parts of society: the "Bad Guys."

Besides, "Good Guys" need to use massive machine guns that shoot flaming grenades, and knives so long that they need to be photoshopped to be put on TV, and he needs to drive tanks into kamikazi'ing helicopters with huge particle explosions in the background, and he needs to put a saddle on a nuke and ride it! And they need muscles! Lots of muscles! You can't have a wimpy "good guy," unless he's the nerdy comic relief side-kick of the protaginistic "Good Guy!"

I hope that clears up anything Prolix left vague.

[Zan]

Killing with poison is dishonorable, it doesn't require a lot of skill. You can kill someone way out of your league by poisoning their sandwich. It's an assassin tool and assassins are against the laws.

Now if you want to talk about the real world. Every self-respecting army invests millions of dollars in biological and chemical warfare research. Poison is used to give death row criminals a 'clean' death or for euthanasia. Of course if you want to use 'good' and 'evil' in the real world you're already way off base. There is no such thing out there

Poison is just an ancient term from back in the dark ages when people didn't understand chemistry and biology yet. Right now you are surrounded by poisons that each have their use but they don't go by that name anymore. Alcohol, drugs, most medications, cleaning products, radiation, ... all are 'poisons' and all can be used to kill people. Heck, I can poison you with water if you let me.