Narrative+Structure


 * [[image:plotdiagram.jpg width="490" height="262"]]

**Elements of plot structure**

Gustav Freytag (1816 - 1895) was a German dramatist and novelist. Why is he important? He came up with the structure for the way stories are told in ancient Greek and Shakespearean drama. This analysis is known as **Freytag's analysis**. His analysis consisted of dividing a play into FIVE parts:


 * 1) exposition
 * 2) rising action
 * 3) climax
 * 4) falling action
 * 5) resolution/dénouement || __**What is plot?**__ A plot is the sequence of events that make up a story. Aristotle stated in his book //The Poetics// that plot structure had "a beginning, a middle and an end". But it is much more than simply the telling of events one after another. A plot needs a motivating purpose to drive the story to its resolution, and a connection between these events. If you watch a movie with a string of unconnected scenes, you will probably be frustrated because the plot makes no sense. Unless these scenes are tied together in some way, it will be very hard to make a real story out of it. So, we should say that //plot is the CAUSAL sequence of events that make up a story//. Of course, this "sequence" doesn't necessarily have to be in order - detective stories or thrillers can often work backwards or jump from one event to another - but at the end of the day, everything should come together. ||
 * Term ||  Definition  ||
 * =Exposition= ||  ||
 * =Narrative Hook= ||  ||
 * =Rising Action= ||  ||
 * =Climax= ||  ||
 * =Falling Action= ||  ||
 * =Resolution= ||  ||