Plot Structure

Plot is the literary element that describes the structure of a story. It shows the causal arrangement of events and actions within a story.

Freytag’s Pyramid

Freytag’s Pyramid uses a five-part system to describe a story’s plot.

This graphic organizer matches the way stories are constructed: The climax is the high point, and it’s surrounded by rising and falling action.

Modified Freytag Pyramid

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 Structure Components

Exposition: The start of the story. The way things are before the action starts.

Rising Action: the series of conflicts and crisis in the story that lead to the climax.

Climax: The turning point. The most intense moment (either mentally or in action.

Falling Action: all of the action which follows the Climax.

Resolution: The conclusion, the tying together of all of the threads.

Gustav Freytag

• Gustav Freytag developed “dramatic structure” to divide a drama into five parts. His pyramid applies more closely to ancient Greek and Shakespearean drama, but was the basis for more modern analysis of plot.

• He was born in Kreuzburg, Silesia, which was a province of Prussia.

• He was also a German dramatist andnovelist.

Exposition (Introduction)

• Background information is given to understand story.– Characters– Setting– Conflict (Problem)

• External Conflict: Problem between character and something other than character.

• Internal Conflict: Problem between character and self.

Rising Action

• During the rising action, the basic conflict is complicated by introducing secondary conflicts, such as obstacles to overcome or other minor problems.

Climax (Turning Point)

• This will mark a change for the better or worse for the character. It’s the most intense moment in the story.– Comedy: Things will get better.– Tragedy: Things will get worse.– Mystery: Mystery will be solved.

Falling Action

• This sometimes contains a final moment of suspense when the final outcome is in doubt.

• Also deals with the effects that the climax has on the characters.

Resolution

• This is also called the conclusion. This is where the story comes to an end and everything is brought to a close.

• The conflict has been resolved.