It is strongly implied, although not outright specified, that at the end of "The Most Dangerous Game," Rainsford recognizes that the only way to deal with General Zaroff is to attempt to beat him at his own game, of treating humans as if they were animals to be baited and used as prey.

Zaroff, thinking that Rainsford has escaped him as a quarry, goes home, thinking morosely about how he is going to have to replace his servant, Ivan, whom Rainsford has killed. He listens to opera and then goes to bed. He believes that Rainsford has been one of the most interesting beasts he has ever attempted to pursue. This opinion is borne out when, upon going to bed, he realizes that Rainsford is in his bedroom, waiting behind a curtain for him to arrive.

Zaroff tells Rainsford that he has won the game, but Rainsford parries, saying that actually he is still "a beast at bay," or still part of the game. He will not give up so easily, and he will not let Zaroff off the hook. Zaroff enjoys this and says that whichever of them gets the better of the other in their fight will sleep in the bed that night, while the other will be fed to the dogs.

Although there are no details of the fight, the fact that Rainsford is the one who ends up sleeping in the bed is a sure indication that he has bested Zaroff.

Sanger Rainsford manages to survive the three days on Ship-Trap and jumps into the sea just before General Zaroff has the chance to shoot him. Later that evening, General Zaroff eats dinner alone in his great paneled dining hall while he thinks about the difficulty of replacing Ivan and how Rainsford escaped him. Following dinner, the general soothes himself by reading the works of Marcus Aurelius before heading to bed. Zaroff has no reason to believe that Rainsford is still alive and suspects that he drowned when he dove into the sea.

Once General Zaroff enters his bedroom, Rainsford surprises him by stepping out from behind the curtain. Zaroff regains his composure and politely congratulates Rainsford for winning the most dangerous game. General Zaroff assumes that Rainsford will behave like a consummate professional and passively accept his congratulations without any altercation.

Rainsford responds to Zaroff's show of professionalism by saying that he is "still a beast at bay." Rainsford means that he still feels like a cornered animal and is ready to defend himself. Rainsford then challenges the general to a duel and defeats Zaroff in hand-to-hand combat. Connell does not depict the final battle between Rainsford and General Zaroff or provide any details of their fight. However, the final sentence of the story reveals that Rainsford killed his enemy and sleeps peacefully in his bed.

In "The Most Dangerous Game," Rainsford escapes from Zaroff by diving into the sea. Zaroff then returns to his mansion and eats dinner. As he eats, the story tells us, he feels annoyed about how the hunt ended (he finds it unsatisfying for it to have resolved in the manner that it did), just as he feels annoyed by the death of his servant, Ivan. Later, Zaroff retires to his bedroom for the night.

However, Rainsford has not died. Since his escape, he has hidden in Zaroff's bedroom, with the intention of killing Zaroff himself. When Zaroff discovers Rainsford, the general is delighted to learn that their contest isn't over but will conclude with one final fight to the death. The story skips over that last fight. Instead, it shows Rainsford lying in Zaroff's bed, having defeated and killed his opponent.

Near the end of Connell’s classic short story, General Zaroff and his hunting dogs close in on Rainsford, who is forced to jump into the sea to survive. Zaroff assumes that Rainsford is dead and heads back to his chateau. Later that night, General Zaroff eats dinner by himself and muses on the difficulty of replacing his reliable servant Ivan as well as his unique experience hunting Rainsford. Just before Zaroff goes to bed, Rainsford steps out from behind a curtain and challenges the general to a fight. Zaroff is initially surprised that Rainsford is alive and responds by congratulating him on winning the game. However, Rainsford is still a “beast at bay” and seeks revenge on Zaroff. Rainsford ends up killing the general in one-on-one combat and rests peacefully in Zaroff’s bed that night.

At the end of the story General Zaroff believes that Rainsford has simply given up and jumped off the cliffs and into the sea to meet his death. He is actually disappointed that Rainsford chose this method of death as opposed to finishing the game. Rainsford jumped, but not to his death and he hikes back to General Zaroff's home and hides behind his curtain to lay in wait for the hunter. The roles now swiftly change and Rainsford is now waiting for his prey instead of being the prey. Zaroff retires to his room, disappointed in the game for the night and Rainsford reveals himself and declares victory by sending Zaroff out to his killer hounds and sleeping restfully in Zaroff's big beautiful bed.

Rainsford is being pursued by Zaroff and his dogs.  He comes to a cliff where "twenty feet below him the sea rumbled and hissed"  He could see the chateau of General Zaroff across the cove.  He hesitated and then jumped into the sea.

General Zaroff gets to the cliff, realizes that Rainsford has jumped, shruggs, lights a cigarette, and hums a tune from Madame Butterfly. He then goes home and has a wonderful meal.  Two things worried Zaroff.  First of all, how was he going to replace Ivan, and secondly, he hadn't killed the American.  The American had cheated him of that pleasure.  He reads a little and has an after dinner drink before going to bed at ten.

When he retires, there is a man standing behind the curtain of his bedroom.  It is Rainsford.  Zaroff congratulates him and tells him that he has won the game.  But Rainsford is not that stupid.  He knows that the General can never let him return to civilization and tell others what he knows about the island.  He tells Zaroff

"I am still a beast at bay" (pg 15)

Zaroff understands that one of them has to die and

 "furnish a repast (meal) for the hounds. The other will sleep in a very excellent bed."

He then says, "On Guard" which people say when they sword fight.  So Rainsford and Zaroff sword fight, and Rainsford decides that

"He had never slept in a better bed.." (pg 15)

Rainsford won.

At the very end of the story, Sanger Rainsford kills General Zaroff.

General Zaroff had been hunting Rainsford throughout much of the story.  Rainsford had kept managing to escape Zaroff.  He had hurt Zaroff and bit and killed one of his best dogs.  He had also killed Zaroff's man, Ivan.  Finally, Rainsford dives into the ocean and makes his way back to Zaroff's house and into Zaroff's room.

Zaroff comes in, they fight and Rainsford kills Zaroff.  The story ends with Rainsford going to sleep in Zaroff's bed.  He decides it is the most comfortable bed he has ever slept in and we are left to decide for ourselves what he is going to do next.

What is the climax of the story "The Most Dangerous Game"?

The climax of "The Most Dangerous Game" is located towards the end of the story when General Zaroff leads his pack of hunting dogs in Rainsford's direction, and Rainsford jumps into the sea to avoid certain death. Throughout the story, Sanger Rainsford runs and hides from General Zaroff for three consecutive days during the most dangerous game. Rainsford is unarmed and must rely on his expertise and survival skills to trick and avoid the deranged general. Zaroff is armed with a small-caliber gun but has the advantage of knowing the island and experienced hunting dogs to track Rainsford's movements.

In the story, Rainsford manages to build several efficient traps, which slow down Zaroff and significantly disrupt his progress. Towards the end of the story, General Zaroff, Ivan, and his dogs discover Rainsford's trail and begin following him. On their way, one of Rainsford traps kills Ivan but the general continues to follow his trail. The climax takes place when Rainford panics and runs out of the forest to the ledge of a cliff while Zaroff is hot on his trial. At the most suspenseful part of the story, Rainsford realizes that he has no other choice than to leap from the cliff and into the water in order to escape the general and his baying dogs.

Rainsford jumps from the cliff, and Connell uses an ellipsis to contribute to the suspense. After Rainsford jumps, the reader is not sure if he survived, and the setting shifts to Zaroff's dining room, where he enjoys his dinner and reads the works of Marcus Aurelius in peace. Rainsford jumping into the sea is considered the climax because it is the most suspenseful moment and a turning point in the story.

What is the climax of the story "The Most Dangerous Game"?

The climax of a story is the most intense point in a narrative as well as the dramatic turning point in the plot. In Connell's short story "The Most Dangerous Game," one could argue that the climax of the story takes place shortly after Rainsford's spring trap kills Ivan, and the general and his pack of hunting dogs close in on Rainsford as he sprints toward the sea. When the hounds pick up on Rainsford's scent and begin leading General Zaroff in his direction, the tension rises as Rainsford runs toward the water. Rainsford is completely out of options when he stops at the edge of a cliff about twenty feet above the sea. At this point in the story, Rainsford is standing directly across the cove from Zaroff's chateau and is forced to make a difficult decision.

The reader experiences the exciting, climactic moment and wonders if Rainsford will risk his life by diving into the sea to avoid the general. The tension reaches a fever pitch as Zaroff comes closer and Rainsford suddenly jumps off the cliff into the sea. The falling action follows the climax and includes Zaroff ruminating on his disappointing game and how he will replace Ivan. The falling action also includes Rainsford's sudden appearance in Zaroff's bedroom and their duel, which is not described. The duel between Rainsford and Zaroff is not the climax, because the reader does not experience the same tension or excitement as the moment Rainsford leaps into the sea. Also, Rainsford and Zaroff's duel is not described in detail, and the reader is simply aware that Rainsford defeats the general.

What is the climax of the story "The Most Dangerous Game"?

The climax in the plot of a short story is the highest point of interest. In other words, the reader should be at a point in the story where suspense has built up to an inevitable crisis. In Richard Connell's short story the climax is when Rainsford decides to jump into the ocean in order to avoid General Zaroff, who will most certainly kill Rainsford if he catches him. After trying every hunting trick he knows, including the Malay man-catcher and Burmese tiger pit, Rainsford finds himself on the edge of a cliff across from Zaroff's chateau. The general is being led by his pack of dogs toward Rainsford when the American leaps:

Twenty feet below him the sea rumbled and hissed. Rainsford hesitated. He heard the hounds. The he leaped far out into the sea....

Connell uses an ellipsis here to indicate that it is unknown whether Rainsford survives the jump or not. The falling action, which follows the climax, involves Zaroff going back to his chateau, dining and reading. When he goes to bed he discovers Rainsford, who has survived the swim (foreshadowed earlier in the story when Rainsford falls off his yacht and swims to the island), in his bedroom. They fight and, in the resolution of the conflict between the two men, Rainsford kills the general and sleeps in his bed.

Some might argue that the climax actually occurs when Rainsford reappears in Zaroff's bedroom; though there's a case to be made for this interpretation, the fact that the fight itself isn't described in detail leaves the scene reading more like traditional falling action. The reader's anticipation is greatest in the scene where Rainsford jumps off the cliff; thus I would argue that this scene, not the one in which Rainsford reappears, is better identified as the climax.

What is the climax of the story "The Most Dangerous Game"?

The climax of any story is the high point of the story.  The moments leading up to the climax are all part of the rising action, and anything after the climax is falling action and resolution.  The climax of "The Most Dangerous Game" is when Rainsford kills Ivan and escapes from Zaroff by jumping off the cliff.  This is by far the most tense and suspenseful part of the story, and the moments after this are not nearly as heart pounding.  When Rainsford jumps, the story is at its peak in terms of momentum.  

After this climactic moment in the story, Rainsford makes his way back to Zaroff's house.  Once there, he waits for Zaroff to return.  The story concludes with Rainsford killing Zaroff and sleeping soundly in the man's bed.  I have seen some interpretations that support this final scene as the climax, but very little detail appears in the scene itself.  The author hints that a fight ensues, but no explanation is given.  

The general made one of his deepest bows. "I see," he said. "Splendid! One of us is to furnish a repast for the hounds. The other will sleep in this very excellent bed. On guard, Rainsford." . . .

He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided.

As you can see, Zaroff readies himself for a fight, and the next thing the reader gets is the information that Raisford slept really well.  We have no idea how intense the fight was.  Compared the cliff jumping sequence, the bedroom confrontation is much less climactic.  I would categorize the bedroom confrontation as the story's falling action.  

What is the climax in "The Most Dangerous Game"?

In any story, the climax is the moment of highest dramatic tension. It is the culmination of the central conflict. In "The Most Dangerous Game," the climax happens right after Rainsford's adventure in Death Swamp. He wakes to hear the sound of Zaroff's hunting dogs. He sets out away from the swamp and sets a trap at the base of a tree in the hopes it will take down Zaroff—or at least one of the dogs—before running as fast as he can. For a moment, the dogs fall silent, and when Rainsford looks back, he sees that Zaroff's servant Ivan has been impaled.

It does not take long for Zaroff and his hounds to continue the chase. They pursue Rainsford to a precipice above the uneasy sea. Stuck between being torn apart by dogs, shot by Zaroff, or jumping and possibly surviving, Rainsford jumps into the sea, and Zaroff loses him.

Here is where the climax ends. While the game is not yet over, since Rainsford survives to kill Zaroff in the end, this is the highest point of tension in the narrative, especially since the reader never gets to see the true final battle between Rainsford and Zaroff, which the text heavily implies ends with Rainsford's victory.

What is the climax in "The Most Dangerous Game"?

Near the end of "The Most Dangerous Game," Rainsford has exhausted his defensive knowledge of hunting and is at his wit's end. He has lost his knife, killed only Ivan instead of Zaroff, and is "treed" against the cliffs of the island, where there is nothing but violent waves and sharp rocks.

"Nerve, nerve, nerve!" he panted, as he dashed along. A blue gap showed between the trees dead ahead. Ever nearer drew the hounds. Rainsford forced himself on toward that gap. He reached it. It was the shore of the sea. Across a cove he could see the gloomy gray stone of the chateau. Twenty feet below him the sea rumbled and hissed. Rainsford hesitated. He heard the hounds. Then he leaped far out into the sea....

This culminates all the suspense before, with Zaroff allowing Rainsford to escape to prolong the hunt and Rainsford slowly tiring himself out. Other prisoners have run to the shore but always turn to face the dogs; Rainsford, knowing that fighting the dogs and then Zaroff with his gun can have only one end, decides that he has nothing to lose and jumps. In this manner, he shows his willingness to live on his own terms stronger than his willingness to let himself be killed; even if he had drowned in the ocean, it would have stolen the kill from Zaroff, since that is all Zaroff cares about.

Rainsford's appearance at the end could be seen as a second, smaller climax, but it is deliberately understated to show how he has been affected by his ordeal, and so it acts more as an epilogue.

What is the climax of "The Most Dangerous Game"?

The climax of "The Most Dangerous Game" comes when Rainsford jumps into the ocean. 

Zaroff has been chasing him for days. After Rainsford failure on the first day, Zaroff played "cat and mouse" with Rainsford, letting the prey remain free for a while. When Zaroff comes again for Rainsford, Rainsford begins to use his wits and his experience, killing off one of Zaroff's dogs and later Zaroff's assistant, Ivan.

Despite his successes, Rainsford becomes cornered in a section of the island. The dogs are coming for him and he has nowhere left to run. The tension of the story reaches its peak as Rainsford makes a decision about how to respond to this impossible situation. 

In a fit of desperation, Rainsford looks to his only escape—jumping off the cliff into the sea which waits far below. He takes this chance.

After this moment in the story, we are presented with conclusion and resolution. Though Zaroff and Rainsford have their final confrontation in the house and Rainsford kills Zaroff, this final meeting occurs by way of falling action.

The tension of the story has already begun to dissipate. Others might argue that the concluding confrontation between the two men represents the climax of the story, bringing the central conflict to a close. However, the central conflict of the story - Rainsford's battle for survival - is decided when Rainsford jumps into the sea. 

What is the climax of "The Most Dangerous Game"?

This question is open to debate. In my opinion, the climax to "The Most Dangerous Game" comes near the end of the story when Rainsford finds himself trapped and is forced to make a decision: whether to stand up to the approaching Zaroff or to take his chances with the dangerous waters below.

     "Nerve, nerve, nerve!" he panted, as he dashed along. A blue gap showed between the trees dead ahead. Ever nearer drew the hounds... Twenty feet below him the sea rumbled and hissed. Rainsford hesitated. He heard the hounds. Then he leaped far out into the sea...

However, author Richard Connell imposes a double-surprise ending which also presents the possibility of an alternate or different climax. Not only does Rainsford survive the plunge into the sea and then surprise Zaroff in his bedroom, but he then announces that the hunt is still on, this time with Zaroff as Rainsford's prey. This could also be considered the climax, but I would call it the falling action. The last line of the short story serves as the denouement, the final resolution.

     He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided.

What is the climax of "The Most Dangerous Game"?

For this story, you need to examine the events carefully to determine the main turning point, which is a good indicator of the climax. Where in the story does the action or a character change?

I think the most obvious answer is near the end of the story when Rainsford confronts Zaroff in his bedroom. Zaroff tells Rainsford that he is free to go, since he won the game. At this point Rainsford has the opportunity to show his moral superiority to Zaroff, but instead, he chooses to continue the game.

Interestingly enough, after having killed Zaroff, Rainsford does NOT free the "prey" that Zarroff has been holding for future hunts. This inaction further supports the idea that Rainsford's confrontation with Zaroff is the climax of the story, since the possibility of his replacing Zaroff (symbolized by a comfortable night's sleep in Zaroff's bed) definitely indicates a change, or turning point, that takes place in Rainsford's character.

Throughout the story the audience has viewed Rainsford as different from Zaroff, but at the climax his true--or possibly his new character is revealed.

What is the climax of "The Most Dangerous Game"?

The climax of a story is the point in the narrative when the intensity and tension are the highest. In Richard Connell's classic short story "The Most Dangerous Game," the climax takes place on Rainsford's third day on the island when he is forced to jump into the ocean to avoid the maniacal general and his pack of hunting dogs.

On the third day, Rainford sees General Zaroff walking alongside Ivan, who is being led by a pack of hunting dogs. Rainsford knows that he must act quickly and fashions a booby trap that he learned to make in Uganda by tying his knife to a young sapling, which is held back by some grapevine. Rainsford's trap works and ends up killing Ivan but does not halt the general's advance. The intensity of the story increases to a fever pitch as the general and his pack of dogs close in on Rainsford, who has run out of options and is in a precarious situation. Rainsford can hear the dogs barking and knows that Zaroff is close by. Rainsford makes the daring decision to sprint towards a cliff and leap into the ocean to avoid the general and his pack of hunting dogs.

What is the climax of "The Most Dangerous Game"?

The climax of Richard Connell's short story, "The Most Dangerous Game," comes when Sanger Rainsford manages to elude the murderous Russian Cossack, General Zaroff, diving off a cliff into the waters below in his last-ditch effort to escape his hunter. Rainsford had managed to elude Zaroff for more than a day, killing Zaroff's companion, Ivan, and one of the dogs; Zaroff, too, had been injured. But Rainsford realized his time was running out and, when reaching the cliff, he decided to take his chance with the dangerous dive rather than with Zaroff's relentless pursuit. The latter paragraphs of the story, when Rainsford returns to Zaroff's bedroom, serves as more of a falling action after the exciting hunt.

What is the rising action of "The Most Dangerous Game"?

In the plot, or sequence of happenings in a literary work, the exposition, or beginning of the story, is part of the rising action, during which there is often a complication, or problem. This is a point at which the protagonist, or central character, meets some opposition, or conflict.

Therefore, in "The Most Dangerous Game," during the exposition Whitney and Rainsford discuss hunting; Whitney feels some sympathy for the prey, contending that they understand fear, "[T]he fear of pain and the fear of death," an observation that foreshadows the experiences of Rainsford to come. Rainsford, however, disagrees and bids his friend goodnight while he remains on deck. When he hears three shots, Rainsford rushes to the rail of the boat, but loses his pipe. As he struggles to catch it, he falls overboard.

In the rising action, Rainsford swims ashore and collapses. The next day he discovered a trail made by hunting boots and follows it where he finally sees the "shadowy outlines of a palatial chateau...set on a high bluff." He introduces himself to the occupants, one of whom has menacing eyes and is dressed in a black uniform. The other man, General Zaroff, is handsome but possesses "an original, almost bizarre quality" about his face.

At dinner, Rainsford converses with the general about hunting; the general informs him,

"I hunt more dangerous game....I live for danger, Mr. Rainsford.....I have done a rare thing. I have invented a new sensation."

Rainsford senses that there is something bizarre about the general. This recognition is the beginning of the complication. For, he and General Zaroff have a strong disagreement about "the ideal quarry." For, Zaroff hunts men, and Rainsford finds this action "cold-blooded murder." Thus begins the opposition of Zaroff as the antagonist and Rainsford as the protagonist. This conflict between Rainsford as the prey and Zaroff as the hunter continues until it reaches the climax of the duel between the two men. Therefore, the rising action of "The Most Dangerous Game" continues through most of the narrative.

What is the rising action of "The Most Dangerous Game"?

While traveling in the Caribbean, Rainsford falls off the yacht. He swims to the shore. After some sleep, he finds a nearby house. He knocks on the door, and Ivan answers and is ready to shoot him. General Zaroff intervenes. General Zaroff gives Rainsford clean clothes and dinner.

At dinner, Rainsford learns that Zaroff hunts men. The action rises as Rainsford learns that he will be the next man General Zaroff hunts.

Given a three hour start, Rainsford sets out. He doubles back on his trail numerous times. This will definitely confuse Zaroff. The action continues to rise as Zaroff comes upon Rainsford who is hiding in a tree. Zaroff decides to play the game some more. He does not kill Rainsford when he could have. Finally, Rainsford jumps off a cliff to save his own life. 

That evening, Rainsford is hiding behind the curtains in Zaroff's bedroom. Zaroff congratulates Rainsford on winning the game, but Rainsford declares that they are still playing. The reader is spellbound as the rising action comes to a climax. 

The climax occurs. The resolution follows when Rainsford declares that he had not slept in a better bed.   

What is the denouement in "The Most Dangerous Game"?

In a literary work, the denouement is the final section in which all the strands of the plot are tied together and resolution is achieved; it is the end result, the culmination of the action.  The denouement of "The Most Dangerous Game" occurs after the climactic scene in which Zaroff discovers Rainsford hiding in his bedroom following the general's hunting expedition in which Rainsford is the prey.  Rainsford refuses to end the game at this point and kills Zaroff.  Following his successful encouter with General Zaroff, Rainsford enjoys a sound night's sleep in Zaroff's bed.  The denouement of the story, then, is the final segment of the plot: Rainsford's encounter with Zaroff in the general's bedroom, the murder of the general, and Rainsford's assuming of Zaroff's place in the estate.

What is the inciting incident in the story "The Most Dangerous Game"?

The Most Dangerous Game is a short story, and so must get to the point quickly to avoid losing the reader. Setting up the character of Rainsford, master game hunter, we find him on a ship with a friend named Whitney who is not himself important to the story.

Most summaries would point to Rainsford's falling off the ship as the inciting incident. However, before he falls, he is napping on the deck and hears gunshots where there should be no human habitation:

An abrupt sound startled him. Off to the right he heard it, and his ears, expert in such matters, could not be mistaken. Again he heard the sound, and again. Somewhere, off in the blackness, someone had fired a gun three times.

Rainsford sprang up and moved quickly to the rail, mystified.

This is the true inciting incident. Rainsford would have continued to nap on the deck and never moved if not for his acute hearing and his curiousity. In attempting to pinpoint the source of the gunshots, Rainsford climbs the railing and falls overboard, setting the plot into motion.

What is the climax in the story "The Most Dangerous Game"?

The climax of a story is often the most exiting point in the action, but since the entire story of "The Most Dangerous Game" is pretty exciting, locating the climax isn't a simple as it may be with other works of fiction.

For this story, you need to examine the events carefully to determine the main turning point, which is another indicator of the climax. Where in the story does the action or a character change?

I think the most obvious answer is near the end of the story when Rainsford confronts Zaroff in his bedroom. Zaroff tells Rainsford that he is free to go, since he won the game. At this point Rainsford has the opportunity to show his moral superiority to Zaroff, but instead, he chooses to continue the game. Interestingly enough, after having killed Zaroff, Rainsford does NOT free the "prey" that Zarroff has been holding for future hunts. This inaction further supports the idea that Rainsford's confrontation with Zaroff is the climax of the story, since the possibility of his replacing Zaroff (symbolized by a comfortable night's sleep in Zaroff's bed) definitely indicates a change, or turning point, that takes place in Rainsford's character.

What is the climax in the story "The Most Dangerous Game"?

I would say the climax is when Rainsford jumps off the cliff into the sea, because he has no other way to escape Zaroff.

What is the outcome of the story "The Most Dangerous Game"?

It sounds as if you haven't finished the entire short story, or you would be able to answer this one for yourself. In "The Most Dangerous Game," Rainsford has successfully eluded Zaroff for nearly three days. He has even turned the tables on Zaroff; his own traps have wounded the general, and killed Ivan and at least one of the dogs. However, Rainsford is finally forced into a corner where he must either face off with the armed Zaroff or dive from the rocks into the sea. Rainsford chooses the plunge from the cliff into the dangerous waters below. When Zaroff sees that Rainsford has made this decision, he assumes that his prey will drown, so Zaroff goes back to his home to celebrate his costly victory. After a fine meal, he withdraws into his bedroom. There, he is surprised by Rainsford, who has obviously survived his ordeal. Zaroff congratulates him on being the victor, but Rainsford tells him that the hunt is not over yet. The story ends with Rainsford settling down to a well-deserved sleep in Zaroff's own bed. It is evident that Rainsford has, in some manner, killed the Cossack--whether by yet another hunt or in cold-blooded murder is for the reader to decide.

What is the climax of "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell and why?

Please see the links below for more answers.

What is the climax of "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell and why?

To figure out the climax, it often helps to look at the inciting incident... the event that sets the rising action or complication of the story in motion. I believe the inciting incident occurs when Rainsford falls off the boat and is thereby prevented from going on his hunting trip, let alone anywhere else ever again in his life.

The climax is the point at which the circumstances turn and it appears that inciting incident is en route to being resolved or appears unable to be resolved. When Rainsford confronts Zaroff in the bedroom, this is indeed a moment still of suspense under which the tide will turn, so yes it can qualify as a climax.

Many people use Rainsford jumping into the ocean to ultimately get away from Zaroff as a climax... it appears to be over and Zaroff thinks so too. This could work and it ties in nicely to the inciting incident with the repetition of the fall into the water. AND truly the tide turned here. Rainsford now for the first time has the control because he at that exact point outsmarted Zaroff. Zaroff believed Rainsford to be dead.  This moment marked a true climax, HOWEVER, you as an audience member are still building suspense because you don't know what will happen until the bedroom scene.

Either will work if you back it up with enough argument for your teacher!

Good luck

What is the main conflict in the story "The Most Dangerous Game"?

The question is correct to suggest that there is more than one conflict present in this story. The main conflict is the man versus man conflict that exists between Rainsford and Zaroff. Rainsford falls over the side of the ship that he was on, and he is forced to swim to the nearby island. Rainsford discovers that the island is inhabited by a fellow gentleman that also happens to be an avid hunter. Unfortunately, Zaroff's favorite prey is humans. He forces Rainsford to be his prey. Rainsford must survive for 72 hours. If he is successful in doing that, then Zaroff claims that he will release Rainsford from the island.

"And if I win—" began Rainsford huskily.

"I'll cheerfully acknowledge myself defeated if I do not find you by midnight of the third day," said General Zaroff. "My sloop will place you on the mainland near a town."

The bulk of the story details how Rainsford tries to outwit Zaroff. Zaroff is a good hunter, and Rainsford works very hard to throw him off of his trail. The conflict is a dire conflict because if Rainsford fails . . . he dies.

How does the game in "The Most Dangerous Game" end?

For General Zaroff, the game ends when Rainsford jumps from the cliff into the water. He thinks that Rainsford dies in the fall, and he is disappointed because he feels that Rainsford has been a worthy adversary.  For Rainsford, the game does not end when he jumps from the cliff. He swims to safety and makes it to Zaroff’s mansion before Zaroff. He hides in the Zaroff’s bedroom. When Zaroff enters the room, Rainsford confronts him, surprising Zaroff. Zaroff congratulates Rainsford, telling him he has won the game. Rainsford, however, tells Zaroff  to  get ready because he is “still a beast at bay.” The game doesn’t end for Rainsford until he has killed Zaroff because it was never a game for Rainsford.

What is the climax and the falling action of "The Most Dangerous Game"?

The climax of Richard Connell's short story, "The Most Dangerous Game," comes when Rainsford escapes by diving from the rocks into the sea and later emerging to surprise General Zaroff in his bedroom. This unexpected twist serves to bring the story full circle, and the reader soon discovers that Rainsford will now hunt (or possibly kill outright) the man who has been using him as the prey.

The falling action comes in the final paragraph, when Rainsford--the apparent victor--decides to spend the night in Zaroff's own bed in what he knows will be a most relaxing sleep.

What is the first major event in the story "The Most Dangerous Game"?

In Richard Connell's suspenseful adventure tale of a deadly hunt, plot is the essential story element.  With an exposition that includes a discussion between Sanger Rainsford and his friend and fellow hunter, Whitney, Connell subtlely suggests the dangerous game to come that will alter Rainsford's initial attitude about the feelings of the prey that is hunted:

"We should have some good hunting up the Amazon. Great sport, hunting."

"The best sport in the world," agreed Rainsford.

"For the hunter," amended Whitney.  "Not for the jaguar."

"Don't talk rot, Whitney,...You're a big game hunter, not a philosopher. Who cares how a jaguar feels?"

"Perhaps the jaguar does..."

"Bah! They've no understanding."

Ironically, then, it is Rainsford who comes to have the deepest of understandings about how the jaguar feels as he himself becomes "a beast at bay." And, it is the first major event of the plot, the complication of the rising action, that initiates this change in feeling for Rainsford; namely, the evening when Rainsford leaps upon the rail of his ship and balances to ascertain from which direction shots have been fired, and he loses his balance and falls overboard,

The cry was pinched off short as the blood-warm water of the Caribbean Sea closed over his head.

Rainsford is able to swim toward the sound of a "screaming animal" and reaches a shore. Exhausted, he falls into a deep sleep.

In "The Most Dangerous Game," what is the climax and the falling action?

This question has already been answered, check out the link below.

What is the climax of "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell?

Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game" is one of those short stories which rather breaks the conventional plot structure of a short story, and there could certainly be some disagreement about what event qualifies as the climax/crisis/turning point of the story.

The inciting action is when the action begins, and the rising action is everything that happens after that which leads to the climax of the story. After the climax is falling action, followed by the resolution or denouement. If we were to follow this traditional form, the climax would have to be when General Zaroff announces that he intends to hunt Rainsford or perhaps when the actual hunt begins. That reading would allow for plenty of falling action and at least some resolution. This story does not really have a long resolution, though, so a more useful reading is as follows. 

The inciting action is either when Rainsford drops his pipe and falls off the boat or when he lands on the island. The rising action goes on for a very long time, until it peaks with Rainsford jumping off the cliff to the rocks and water below and then reappearing in Zaroff's bedroom. Very little story is left after that, but it is enough to resolve the key issues: Rainsford lives and Zaroff dies. 

The climax of a story is 

the moment in a play, novel, short story, or narrative poem at which the crisis comes to its point of greatest intensity and is resolved. It is also the peak of emotional response from a reader or spectator, and it usually represents the turning point in the action. 

Given this definition, a case could be made that Rainsford jumping off the cliff is the climax; the case could also be made that the moment of "greatest intensity" is when Rainsford appears from behind the curtain in Zaroff's room. It is certainly a great surprise to us--and an even greater surprise to Zaroff. The resolution and denouement are only a line or two in either case, but that is enough to ensure that we know who wins the battle. 

Either reading seems defensible and depends on what the reader views as the "peak of emotional response." The direction of the story turns when Rainsford escapes from Zaroff, but everything really turns when Rainsford wins the game and Zaroff becomes the hunted. 

The general sucked in his breath and smiled. "I congratulate you," he said. You have won the game."

For me, the climax of this story is when Rainsford appears from behind the curtain and wins the game. 

What is the climax and falling action in Richard Edward Connell's short story "The Most Dangerous Game"?

Climax is best defined as the "turning point in a storyline," the moment that the rising action turns into the falling action (Literary Devices, "Climax"). At this moment, the conflict in the narrative reaches its greatest intensity, bringing the resolution into sight. Although some literary critics use the terms crisis and climax interchangeably, "the climax usually follows" but can sometimes overlap with the crisis (Dr. Wheeler, "Literary Terms and Definitions: C"). At the point of crisis, the reader is still unsure what the resolution will be, if the protagonist will succeed or fail in battling the conflict. Hence, to find the climax, we first want to determine the resolution.

In Richard Edward Connell's short story "The Most Dangerous Game," we know the story resolves with Rainsford deciding "he had never slept in a better bed" than General Zaroff's, which means that Rainsford won the battle between he and Zaroff in Zaroff's bedroom. Hence, we also know that the climax comes just prior to this moment.

Before Zaroff has dinner that night and locks himself in his bedroom, the last thing we witness Rainsford doing is standing on the beach, staring into the sea, and hearing the dogs drawing closer. The narration in the paragraph ends with, "Then he leaped far out into the sea ...." At this point, the reader is not completely sure what happened to Rainsford. It seems as though he may have committed suicide in order to escape being caught by the dogs and Zaroff. Since the resolution of the story is uncertain at this point, we know that this is the moment of crisis in the story and that the climax is soon to follow.

Hence, the climax is the moment that Zaroff locks himself in his bedroom, goes to his bedroom window to admire the moonlight on the courtyard, and turns around to see Rainsford, "who had been hiding in the curtains of the bed," standing there. At that moment, we know that Rainsford has outwitted Zaroff and won the game; all that's needed next is the final battle. Since at this moment the resolution is already in sight, we know this moment is the climax.

In addition, The conversation in which Zaroff declares Rainsford has won and in which Zaroff realizes Rainsford intends to fight Zaroff to the death counts as the falling action that leads to the resolution.