NOTES ON PLOT AND STORY IN DRAMA

The story is a sequence of events and actions, while the plot includes all of the details that
support the story by linking the events together. In other words, plot is someone’s elaboration
of a story. “The king died and then the queen died” is a story “The king died and then the
queen died of grief” is the plot.

o The plot is the ‘what’, ‘how’ and ‘why’. It includes: situation, conflict, climax and resolution.

o Situation describes what’s going on in the story- the broader frame and context within
which the characters exist and the events occur

o Conflict refers to the tension between opposing forces. The main types of conflict are:

Man vs self
Man vs man
Man vs nature
Man vs society
Man vs technology
Man vs supernatural
Man vs fate/time

o The climax is the peak point of conflict. It may also be defined as the turning point, or the
point of highest emotion.

o The resolution is the conclusion of the story. It may be closed- where all loose ends are tied
up- or it may be open, like a cliffhanger.
o This diagram shows Freytag’s Plot Pyramid. However, not all plots take on this structure.
Can you think of any movies or plays where the climax does not occur in the middle?

o The exposition is where we are introduced to the setting, characters, themes, tone etc.

o In the rising action, complications are introduced. Complications eventually evolve into the
main conflict(s)

o The setting is the ‘where’ and ‘when.’ It refers to the location in which scenes occur. This
may also include a particular milieu- e.g. Port of Spain after the Second World War,
modern-day Carapichaima, Italy during the Renaissance period, a classroom in Holy Faith
Convent Penal etc.

o Set refers to the physical components that are designed to reflect the setting onstage. For
example: tables, chairs, buildings, furniture etc.

o To strike the set means to remove all things that were placed onstage during a production,
so as to return the stage to its original bare state.

o Characterisation is the ‘who’ of the play.