Dramatic Structure of the Plot (1) PDF

Freytag’s Pyramid vs. Modern Dramatic Structures Freytag’s pyramid was invented nearly two hundred years ago, before the invention of the radio, film, television, & streaming platforms as they transformed storytelling. So, it’s not surprising that plot structure has advanced since then. There a...

Freytag’s Pyramid vs. Modern Dramatic Structures Freytag’s pyramid was invented nearly two hundred years ago, before the invention of the radio, film, television, & streaming platforms as they transformed storytelling. So, it’s not surprising that plot structure has advanced since then. There are main differences between Freytag and modern plot structure: 10/27/2024 Dr. Sara Fawzy Ahmed 1  Freytag’s Pyramid vs. Modern Dramatic Structures Freytag Pyramid Modern Drama Structure Freytag’s pyramid is great for So while Freytag’s Pyramid melodrama. certainly can be helpful for writers, Freytag was interested in one type of story: the tragedy. He thought it was especially those who write premier form of storytelling. melodramas, his framework is much less universal. This caused him to create a story structure framework particularly suited to a specific dramatic arc, a tragedy, but isn’t very helpful for anyone writing a story with a happy ending. 10/27/2024 Dr. Sara Fawzy Ahmed 2  Freytag’s Pyramid vs. Modern Dramatic Structures Freytag Pyramid Modern Drama Structure One of the core differences is Modern theories place the the term “climax.” Climax laid in climax later in the story. the middle of the story according to Freytag’s framework, where it The climax can happen at works as the story has a major the last scenes of the story, turning point. taking the location of Freytag calls the climax as the Freytag’s catastrophe “midpoint.” 10/27/2024 Dr. Sara Fawzy Ahmed 3 10/27/2024 Dr. Sara Fawzy Ahmed 4  Freytag’s Pyramid vs. Modern Dramatic Structures Modern Drama Structure Freytag Pyramid There are many genres that Freytag believes that the end of overlap and merged into each a dramatic work determines its other regardless how it ends genre. such as dramedy If the resolution presented the death of hero or sad and tragic In modern drama, some genres ending, the work can be can have happy endings and still classified as drama, and if the drama while comedy can end is happy, then the work is conclude into tragic ending & classified within comedy. vice versa. 10/27/2024 Dr. Sara Fawzy Ahmed 5 3 act Structure The three-act structure is a modern model used in narrative fiction that divides a plot into three parts (acts), often called : 1. The Setup 2. The Confrontation 3. The Resolution 10/27/2024 Dr. Sara Fawzy Ahmed 6 3 act Structure 10/27/2024 Dr. Sara Fawzy Ahmed 7 Set up The first act, or opening is usually used for exposition, to establish the main characters, their relationships, and the world they live in. Later in the first act, a dynamic incident happens, known as the inciting incident, that confronts the main character. 10/27/2024 Dr. Sara Fawzy Ahmed 8 Set up The protagonist's attempts to deal with this incident lead to more dramatic situation, known as the first plot point, in which life will never be the same again for the protagonist and raises a dramatic question that will be answered in the climax of the film. 10/27/2024 Dr. Sara Fawzy Ahmed 9 The Confrontation The second act, also referred to as "rising action", typically depicts the protagonist's attempt to resolve the problem initiated by the first plot point, only to find himself in ever worsening situations. Part of the reason protagonists seem unable to resolve their problems is because they do not yet have the skills to deal with the forces of antagonist that confront him. 10/27/2024 Dr. Sara Fawzy Ahmed 10 The Confrontation They must not only learn new skills but arrive at a higher sense of awareness of who they are and what they are capable of, to deal with their difficult situations which leads to as character development or a character arc. This cannot be achieved alone and they are usually aided by mentors and co-protagonists. 10/27/2024 Dr. Sara Fawzy Ahmed 11 The Resolution The third act features the falling action/ climax /conclusion of the story. The climax is the scene or sequence in which the main tensions of the story are brought to their most intense point and the dramatic question answered, leaving the protagonist and other characters with a new sense of who they really are. 10/27/2024 Dr. Sara Fawzy Ahmed 12 10/27/2024 Dr. Sara Fawzy Ahmed 13 10/27/2024 Dr. Sara Fawzy Ahmed 14 Plot hole In fiction, plot hole or plot error is a gap or inconsistency in a storyline that goes against the flow of logic established by the story's plot. Plot holes are usually created unintentionally, often as a result of editing or the writers simply forgetting that a new event would contradict previous events. Sometimes viewers disagree on whether a certain plot element constitutes an error. 10/27/2024 Dr. Sara Fawzy Ahmed 15 Plot hole Types Factual errors: Historical anachronisms, or incorrect statements about the world. Impossible events: Something that defies the laws of science, as established for the story's setting. Out-of-character behavior: It means whatever action a person does, said, or performs is Inconsistent with his/her personality, disposition, or usual expected behavior. 10/27/2024 Dr. Sara Fawzy Ahmed 16 Plot hole Types Continuity errors Events in the story which contradict those established earlier. Unresolved storylines One of the plot lines/ plot points is not resolved by the end, or a character who is expected to reappear does not. 10/27/2024 Dr. Sara Fawzy Ahmed 17