Freytag's Pyramid

Freytag’s Pyramid

a framework for telling stories made up to five sections: Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Denouement

Gustav Freytag

a hugely popular German novelist and playwright active from 1840 to 1870

Aristotle’s Poetics

a play should have a beginning, middle, and end

Exposition

the establishing of the theme, settings, and main characters of the story

Rising Action

the first major plot point, the building of layers of tension, complexity, uncertainty, and suspense in the second act.

The Climax

is when a dramatic event happens that ensures things will never be the same again

Falling Action

is the step of reckoning and reversal. Where events reflect the change that occurred in the climax, and where the author can foreshadow what may occur in the resolution

Resolution

Final event is the story

Denouement

the aftermath and unpacking of the secrets, explains the final knots, and shows how the world looks after the resolution is over