Plot is the literary element that describes the structure of a story. It shows the a causal...
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Transcript of Plot is the literary element that describes the structure of a story. It shows the a causal...
Plot is the literary element that describes the structure of a story. It shows the a causal arrangement of events and actions within a story.
Plot Structure
Types of Plot StructurePlots can be told in
Chronological order
Flashback
In media res (in the middle of things) when the story starts in the middle of the action without exposition
Pyramid Plot Structure The most basic
and traditional form of plot is pyramid-shaped.
This structure has been described in more detail by Aristotle and by Gustav Freytag.
Aristotle’s Unified Plot
The basic triangle-shaped plot structure was described by Aristotle in 350 BCE. Aristotle used the beginning, middle, and end structure to describe a story that moved along a linear path, following a chain of cause and effect as it works toward the solution of a conflict or crisis.
Freytag’s Plot Structure
Freytag modified Aristotle’s system by adding a rising action (or complication) and a falling action to the structure. Freytag used the five-part design shown above to describe a story’s plot.
Modified Plot Structure
Freytag’s Pyramid is often modified so that it extends slightly before and after the primary rising and falling action. You might think of this part of the chart as similar to the warm-up and cool-down for the story.
Plot Components
Exposition: is the start of the story, the situation before the action starts
Rising Action: is the series of conflicts and crisis in the story that lead to the climax
Climax: is the turning point, the most intense moment—either mentally or in action
Falling Action: is all of the action which follows the climax
Resolution: is the conclusion, the tying together of all of the threads
Conflict Conflict is the dramatic
struggle between two forces in a story. Without conflict, there is no plot.
Types of Conflict
Human vs. Nature
Human vs. Society
Human vs. SelfInternal Conflict
Human vs. HumanInterpersonal Conflict
Review… 1. Exposition: is setting the scene. The writer
introduces the characters and setting, providing description and background.
2. Inciting Incident: is something that happens to begin the action. A single event usually signals the beginning of the main
conflict. The inciting incident is sometimes called 'the complication'.
3. Rising Action: helps the story builds and gets more exciting.
Review Continued… 4. Climax: is the moment of greatest tension
in a story. This is often the most exciting event. It is the event that the rising action
builds up to and that the falling action follows.
5. Falling Action: are events that happen as a result of the climax and we know that the
story will soon end.6. Resolution: is when the character solves
the main problem/conflict or someone solves it for him or her.
The ending… 7. Dénouement: (a French term, pronounced: day-noo-moh) the
ending. At this point, any remaining secrets, questions or mysteries which remain after the resolution are solved by the characters or explained by the author. Sometimes the author leaves us to think about the THEME or future
possibilities for the characters.
The end continued… You can think of the dénouement as the opposite of the exposition: instead of getting ready to tell us the story by
introducing the setting and characters, the author is getting ready to end it
with a final explanation of what actually happened and how the characters think
or feel about it. This can be the most difficult part of the plot to identify, as it
is often very closely tied to the resolution.