English 1A Plot Elements

English 1A Notes

Elements of Plot

Plot: The careful arrangement by an author or incidents in a narrative to achieve a desired effect. It’s the result of the writer’s deliberate selection of interrelated actions and choice of arrangement in presenting and resolving conflict. They normally involve conflict (external or internal).

• ex. “The king died and the queen died of grief” is a story; “The king died and then the queen died of grief” is a plot.

Inciting Incident: a term used to describe the incident or impetus that sets the rising action of a play or other work of fiction into motion. This begins the story’s problem. Everything up until this is backstory, but everything after is “the story.”

Exposition: the immediate or gradual revelation to the audience of the setting, relationships between characters, and other background information needed to understand the plot. Normally happens at the beginning either a little at a time or through flashbacks.

Conflict: the struggle between opposing forces that determines the action in drama and most narrative fiction. Conflicts can be character against nature, fate, character, or self. There are external and internal conflicts. External is against another character or nature; internal is against themself.

Rising Action: the part of a plot that leaders through a series of increasing interest and power to the climax. It begins with the inciting moment and moves through complications toward the climax. Think of it like everything before the climax (turning point).

Complications: an entangling of affairs early in the development of the plot that must be unraveled in the resolution in the end. They normally develop during the rising action.

Climax: the point where a character makes a decision or takes an action that leads to the resolution of the conflict. It usually is the crisis or turning point for the protagonist.

Falling Action: The part of the plot that follows the climax and leads to the resolution/denouement.

Resolution: The final resolving of the conflicts and complications in the plot.

Denouement: The final part resolution of the conflicts and complications; complete resolution and explains all the matters. It is a clearer resolution. All loose ends are wrapped up and misunderstandings are cleared up.

Foreshadowing: the technique of giving hints or clues that prepare for events that will occur later on. Creates suspense, prepares the reader for what is to come, and makes final outcomes seem inevitable.

Irony: something that goes against normal expectations

• Verbal Irony: doesn’t literally mean what someone says. Says the opposite of what they mean. Not all verbal irony is sarcasm. Sarcasm is verbal irony WITH attitude.

  • ex. when someone says, “Wow… just what I needed,” after spilling coffee on their shirt in the morning.

• Dramatic Irony: when the audience knows the event and knows what the characters will miss. Feels like when you’re in on a secret.

  • ex. in Romeo and Juliet, Romeo kills himself after thinking that Juliet died. But, the audience knows that Juliet is actually sleeping.

• Situational Irony: does the opposite of what you expect. Reasonable explanations are not met.

  • ex. when a professional cake carrier drops a cake

Dialogue: the conversation between two or more people. Writers often use dialogue to reveal their characters; personalities and traits by revealing what they say in relation to the conflict. It’s also used to slow time and build suspense for how the plot will move forward and how the conflict will be resolved.