Student Question
What are the main elements of a plot structure in literature?
Quick answer:
The main elements of plot structure in literature, as outlined by Freytag's Pyramid, include exposition, point of attack, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Exposition introduces the setting and characters, while the point of attack or inciting incident triggers the main conflict. Rising action builds tension leading to the climax, the story's peak tension point. Falling action follows the climax, moving towards the resolution, where the conflict is resolved.
In literature, each of these terms is a step in Freytag's Pyramid, or Dramatic Structure. This was a theory invented by Gustav Freytag, a German writer in the 19th century. He analyzed hundreds of stories and identified similar patterns in their plots. The result was what he called his Pyramid, or a series of steps that track the development of a plot. It is shaped like a pyramid because its course is meant to track the rise and fall of tension in the story. Each of the terms you listed is a step in the pyramid, which I will explain in order:
- Exposition: The creation of the scene, in which the author presents the characters and setting.
- Point of Attack: Usually known as the Inciting Incident, this is the moment that begins the action. It usually is an instigation of the main conflict, or a complication.
- Rising Action: The story builds and gets more exciting.
- Climax: The moment of highest tension in the story, at which point the resolution of the main conflict seems more improbable.
- Falling Action: Events happen as a result of the climax, and the story moves towards a solution for the conflict.
- Resolution: The conflict is solved.
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