Name: ____________________________________ Year and Section: _____________________

Quarter: ________________________ Date: _______________________________

What are Narrative Structures?

Literature has many forms, and each form has its own unique structure for telling a story. When
studying, teaching, or learning about narration in literature, it is also important to understand its underlying
arrangement. How is it created? What are the parts of a story? What aspects differ from one form to
another?

The primary types of narrative structure, or story structure, come in these forms:

 Novels
 Poems or Poetry
 Drama or Plays
 Short Stories
 Novellas
 Myths, Legends, Folktales, Fairy Tales, and Epics

For novels, novellas, and short stories, you will see that the typical pattern of three or five parts of a
story. This is referred to as the plot diagram. It is the foundation of many other structures and is the most
commonly used. It can also be applied to other forms of media, like movies and TV shows.

A similar diagram can be used for understanding the patterns of drama or plays. This is known as the
Five Act Structure. It too has five parts, each act coinciding with one part of the narrative diagram.
Shakespeare was famous for structuring his plays in five acts: Act I is the introduction, Act II is the rising
action, Act III the climax, Act IV the falling action, and Act V the resolution or denouement. This
pattern is widely successful, and has been used by many playwrights.

Lastly, the narrative structure used for epics and some myths, legends, folktales, and fairy tales is often
the "Hero's Journey", sometimes referred to as the Monomyth. Not every story will fit this structure, but it is
commonly used for these types of narratives when the protagonist is considered a "hero". A famous example
would be The Odyssey, a Greek epic where the hero, Odysseus, is forced to live, lost at sea, because of
Poseidon's ill will towards him. Modern examples can be found in Disney movies animated adventures such
as Toy Story or Finding Nemo.

Here at Storyboard That, we have compiled articles and storyboards created about the different
structures of literature: Five Act Structure, types of Shakespearean plays, the plot diagram, and the Hero’s
Journey.
 Narrative arcs and the prototypical “Plot Diagram” are essential for building literary comprehension
and appreciation. Plot diagrams allow students to pick out major themes in the text, trace changes
to major characters over the course of the narrative, and hone their analytic skills. Lessons
emphasizing these skills meet many Common Core Standards for English Language Arts
(CCSS.ELA-Literacy). The concepts not only give students a fuller understanding of classroom texts,
but also their favorite books and movies.
 Elements of Plot
Beginning Middle End

 Exposition  Rising Action  Falling Action

 Conflict  Climax  Resolution