情境十九：错杀亲人
具体描述
要素
杀人者
未相认的受害者
概要
凶手错杀（或差点杀死，或伤害）自己的亲人朋友，当时没有相认。因此，原本看似正义的行为骤然转向了非正义。
变体
A
1. 由于神谕无意中杀死女儿
2. 由于政治需要无意中杀死女儿
3. 由于爱情竞争而无意中杀死女儿
4. 由于情人对未相认女儿的仇恨，而无意中杀死她
B
1. 无意中杀死儿子
2. 由于狡猾之人的煽动，无意中杀死儿子
3. 由于狡猾之人的煽动或亲属的仇恨，无意中杀死儿子
C
1. 在愤怒中杀死兄弟
2. 由于职责所在，女孩无意中杀死自己的兄弟
D
1. 杀死未相认的母亲
E
1. 由于狡猾之人的建议，无意中杀死父亲
2. 无意中杀死父亲
3. 无意中侮辱父亲
4. 无意中几至杀死父亲
F
1. 出于报复或被人煽动，偶然中杀死祖父
2. 偶然中杀死祖父
3. 偶然中杀死养父
G
1. 无意中杀死心爱的女人
2. 未认出情人，而实施杀害
3. 未能救出未相认的儿子
进一步阐述
惩罚那些做错事的人是很容易的，但伪证或减刑的情况经常被忽视。这是死刑的困境之一——被惩罚的人可能过后证明是无辜的，但已没有补救的途径。
当故事中的英雄去杀人时，很可能已为这一行为设立了正当的理由，读者默许了英雄的行为。但如果受害者是其亲属时，社会法则就会占据上风，我们会呼吁英雄停止。这种内心冲突是伟大故事的素材，我们为此激动。
受害者知道亲属关系后，也试图向杀人者传达这一点，故事气氛因此更紧张。
类似的模式也发生在意外杀害或伤害爱人的事件上，无论用剑还是汽车，观众都会对无意中杀人者的痛苦深感同情。
Slaying of a kinsman unrecognized
Description
Elements
The Slayer
The Unrecognized Victim
Summary
The Slayer kills (or nearly kills or harms) the Unrecognized Victim, who is actually a relative or friend of the Slayer. Thus a seemingly justified act suddenly becomes unjustified.
Variants
A
Being upon the point of slaying a daughter unknowingly by command of a divinity or an oracle
Being upon the point of slaying a daughter unknowingly through political necessity
Being upon the point of slaying a daughter unknowingly through a rivalry in love
Being upon the point of slaying a daughter unknowingly through hatred of the lover of the unrecognized daughter
B
Being upon the point of slaying a son unknowingly
Being upon the point of slaying a son unknowingly, strengthened by Machiavellian instigations
Being upon the point of slaying a son unknowingly, strengthened by Machiavellian instigations, intermixed with hatred of kinsmen
C
Being upon the point of slaying a brother, unknowingly, in anger
A sister, upon the point of slaying a brother, unknowingly, through professional duty
D
Slaying of a mother unrecognized
E
Slaying of a father unknowingly, through Machiavellian advice
Slaying of a father unknowingly
Insulting of a father unknowingly
Being on the point of slaying of a father unknowingly
F
A grandfather slain unknowingly, in vengeance and through instigation
A grandfather slain involuntarily
A father-in-law killed involuntarily
G
Involuntary killing of a loved woman
Being on the point of killing a lover, unrecognized
Failure to rescue an unrecognized son
Discussion
It is easy to justify the punishment of someone who appears to have done something wrong, but what is often missed is perhaps incorrect evidence or extenuating circumstances. This is one of the dilemmas of capital punishment - that the person killed may later be found to be innocent, when there is no route for redress or reversal of the punishment.
When a hero in a story goes to kill a person, the story may well have built up a good justification for that act and as readers we tacitly support the hero's action. When, however, we realize that the victim is a kinsman, then social rules take over and we cry out for the hero to stop! This inner conflict is the stuff of great stories and we get carried along by the excitement.
Further tension may be added to the story when the Victim knows about the relationship and may be desperately trying to communicate this to the Slayer.
A similar pattern occurs with accidental killing or harm of a loved one, whether by sword or car, and we may feel great sympathy for the anguish of the unintending killer.