Plot

Plot meaning

The plot of a story is the chain of events that occur from beginning to end. So while characters are the ‘who’ of the story, the plot is the ‘what’ - ‘what’ exactly is happening in the story and sometimes even 'how’ it is happening. It can be the entire physical or emotional journey of the main character(s), which begins with a moment of internal or external conflict followed by some action that leads up to a climax and resolution.

However, the individual events that make up the plot of a story are not isolated but are actually interconnected to each other. This means they have a cause-and-effect relationship, where one event in the story influences the next. Hence, when the main character is presented with a challenging situation, the effect this situation has on them causes them to make a decision, which in turn leads to another event that is an effect of their decision. This chain reaction is what propels the plot of a story.

Plot structure

What if we see all the events that make up a plot as individual puzzle pieces? Now, we need to arrange these puzzle pieces in their proper place to see the full picture. Similarly, all the events that make up a plot must be presented to the reader in a sequence that is logical, to aid their understanding of the story. This is the plot structure.

Plot structure: The order in which the writer organises the main events that make up the story's plot.

Three-act plot structure

Aristotle was the first to formulate the three-act structure in his book Poetics (c. 335 BCE) after analysing the sequence of events in a dramatic tragedy. According to Aristotle, every play or poem should have a setup, confrontation and resolution, otherwise simply stated as the beginning, middle and end.²

A beginning is that which is not itself necessarily after anything else, and which has naturally something else after it. An end is that which is naturally after something itself, either as its necessary or usual consequent, and with nothing else after it. And a middle, that which is by nature after one thing and has also another after it.

- Aristotle, Poetics (c. 335 BCE)

Setup or beginning

This part introduces the protagonist and the dramatic question, or the conflict in the protagonist’s life. Its main objective is to grab the reader’s attention while also setting the scene for the story to make sense.

Confrontation or middle

This part consists of the main action of the story. These could be the various obstacles the protagonist must overcome in order to complete their journey. There may be various subplots within this part of the story which all must interconnect before moving on to the resolution.

Resolution or ending

This is where the dramatic question is answered and the tension of the story slowly subsides.

Freytag's Pyramid

German novelist Gustav Freytag added to Aristotle’s three-act structure to create a five-act structure with five different plot points that every story must go through. This structure is knowns as the Freytag’s Pyramid.³

Fig. 1 - Freytag's Pyramid Structure

Exposition

This is where the readers are introduced to any relevant information about the main character(s), such as their personality traits, backstory and their relationship with other characters. The setting (place and time) where the story will take place is also established alongside any other contextual or background information necessary for the understanding of the story. This is where we establish the ‘normal’ lives of our main characters.

This is also where the dramatic question or central conflict of the story is planted.

Rising action

This is characterised by the occurrence of an inciting incident. The inciting incident is a turning point where some sort of extraordinary complication that does not occur in the ‘normal’ life of our main character happens. The inciting incident sets our story into motion.

This inciting incident triggers a chain of events where the main characters(s) are forced into challenging situations where they must overcome mental or physical obstacles. The reader also realises the consequences of failing to overcome these obstacles for the main character, a realisation that leads to a build-up of tension and anticipation within the readers.

Climax

This is the big moment! All the challenging situations and obstacles that our protagonist overcomes lead up to the climax, where the protagonist comes face to face with the central conflict of the story. Hence, this is where the tension and conflict reach their peak in the story and push the readers to the edge. This is everything that the readers have been waiting for, and everything that the writer has been promising.

This is where the protagonist makes a major decision that seals their fate and solidifies the direction the story’s ending is going to take - whether it is going to be a happy ending or a tragic one.

Falling action

This bridges the gap between the climax and the resolution where the protagonist begins to experience the consequences of the climax and the character’s actions. This stage is characterised by a rapid decline in tension and drama, as we move towards the resolution.

This is also the writer’s opportunity to tie up any loose ends and conclude any subplots or minor conflicts.

Resolution

This is the official end to the protagonist's journey, where they have reached their destination by answering the dramatic question and ending the central conflict of the story. The final fate of our characters is revealed and a new sense of ‘normal’ is established. Some stories may contain information about the futures of our characters. This is the happy (or tragic) ending of the story.

Now we will apply Freytag's Pyramid to explain the plot structure of the famous movie Titanic (1997):

• Exposition: The audience is introduced to the protagonists- Jack (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (played by Kate Winslet) and are given a brief look at their backgrounds and relationships with those around them. For instance, Rose is from the upper class and is engaged to her wealthy fiance, while Jack is a poor artist who wins the ticket to the Titanic in a poker game. Both characters are placed in the setting of the story - the Titanic, which is where they first meet.
• Rising Action: This is the part where the two protagonists begin to develop feelings for each other. They face many obstacles, primarily Rose's mother and fiance and the difference in their societal statuses. Tensions increase as Rose's fiance frames Jack for theft. Meanwhile, the ship hits an iceberg and starts to sink.
• Climax: This is the part when the ship begins to sink and Rose and Jack both fall into the freezing water. While Rose survives, Jack dies.
• Falling Action: Rose is rescued by a lifeboat and taken aboard another ship. She never meets her fiance again, who soon commits suicide after losing his fortune. Rose realises that she must carry on living her life, to fulfil her promise to Jack to survive.
• Resolution: Rose keeps her promise and lives a full life. She dies of old age and is once again reunited with Jack on the staircase of the Titanic.

Types of plot in literature

While plots can be extremely creative and unique from one another, Christopher Booker, an English journalist and author, identified seven basic types of plotlines that most literature seems to fall under. ⁴

The main character has flaws, but they are not deeply rooted and are mostly lighthearted and humorous. Humour is at the heart of comedic plots. The rising action in comedies is usually characterised by confusing and chaotic events that are resolved in one moment, after which everything returns to order and the ending is a happy one.

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1605) is one early example of a famous comedy written by William Shakespeare.

Tragedy

In a tragedy, the main character is mostly likeable, respectable and moral, and placed in a favourable position in society. However, they possess one very obvious flaw that becomes the cause of their downfall. Tragedies are characterised by an extreme reversal of fate, usually leading to a tragic ending where the protagonist dies.

Romeo and Juliet (1592) by William Shakespeare is one of the most popular tragic plays ever written, featuring the star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet, who both die as a result of their feuding families.

Fig. 2 - Romeo and Juliet

Rebirth

This is when a morally bad character undergoes a series of events that cause a drastic change in the character’s formerly negative perspective, transforming them from bad to good. In the end, the character earns redemption and is rewarded with a happy ending. This type of plot frequently features anti-heroes.

The beast in the classic fairytale 'Beauty and the Beast' (1740) by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve is an example of a character who undergoes 'rebirth' throughout the course of the story, where he meets Beauty and his love for her turns him into a redeemable character.

Fig. 3 - From the illustrated children's book Beauty and the Beast (1874) by Walter Crane.

Rags to riches

Again, this is another plot type where the main character’s fortune turns from bad to good. The character starts off as downtrodden and impoverished, yet is a likeable and moral character. This causes the readers to root for their success. Over the course of the story, the protagonist comes very close to achieving what they have always wanted. However, during the climax, they usually face a moral conflict during which they consider sacrificing all their dreams. But in the end, by choosing the right path, the character finally ends up receiving the success and happiness that they have always deserved.

The famous fairytale 'Cinderella' (the French version by Charles Perrault was published in 1697) is about an orphan girl who is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters until the prince falls in love with her. She marries him to become a princess.

Overcoming the monster

This is a classic good versus evil plot where the protagonist(s) is good and cares about the welfare of society, while the antagonist is an evil force that is threatening society or the protagonists' loved ones. There is usually an epic battle which serves as the point of climax. However, the ‘monster’ is ultimately defeated and the hero emerged victorious.

Quest

The protagonist, usually aided by a group of friends, sets out on a journey to complete a specific task. The hero and his team usually face numerous challenges along the way. Oftentimes, the final challenge that results in the completion of the task (or the answering of the dramatic question) must be overcome by the hero alone.

In The Hobbit (1937), the protagonist Bilbo Baggins is forced to go on a dangerous quest to find a treasure in a fictional world created by J. R. R. Tolkien.

Voyage and return

This plot type is very similar to the quest, where the protagonist and their friends set out on a journey where they face numerous challenges. However, in this case, the journey has no predetermined aim or task that the protagonist is aware of. Usually, it is just an unexpected adventure that leads to the protagonist returning back wiser and happier.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) Lewis Carroll is a story about how Alice accidentally falls down a rabbit hole, which takes her to the mind-bending fantastical world of Wonderland where she realises her true destiny.

Fig. 4 - A 1915 picturisation of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Examples of plot in literature

To help exemplify everything this article has discussed, here are examples of literary works analysed for plot structure and type.

The Great Gatsby (1925)

The Great Gatsby is a tragedy tracing the life of Jay Gatsby, an ambitious self-made businessman who ascended the social classes by chasing the American Dream. However, his tragic flaw is his blind pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, a love story that he was forced to forgo in the past due to the differences in their societal classes. However, Gatsby's obsession with recapturing his past romance with Daisy leads him to blind himself to the reality that Daisy is no longer the same woman he fell in love with. Daisy's love for her 'old-money' social status triumphs over her love for Gatsby, who suffers a violent death at the end of the novel in an attempt to save Daisy's life.