From Greek tragedy to modern cinema, one scene returns again and again: a villain holds an innocent hostage, the heroes raise their weapons, and someone shouts, “Don’t shoot—you’ll hit the innocent!” Euripides staged it with threatened children, Shakespeare with captive princes, and Hollywood with bank robbers and police snipers.
Beyond the Hostage Dilemma
From Greek tragedy to modern cinema, one scene returns again and again: a villain holds an innocent hostage, the heroes raise their weapons, and someone shouts, “Don’t shoot—you’ll hit the innocent!” Euripides staged it with threatened children, Shakespeare with captive princes, and Hollywood with bank robbers and police snipers.