Dramatic structure
The How the plot or story of a play is laid out. is how the The sequence of events in a narrative; a story. or story of a play is laid out, including a beginning, a middle and an end. Plays may also include A separate storyline or strand of narrative that runs alongside the main plot., which are smaller stories that allow the audience to follow the journey of different characters and events within the plot. Plays also feature an element of conflict, which does not necessarily mean a fight or argument but instead an obstacle that needs to be overcome.
A typical dramatic structure is To follow a series of events in real time without the use of flashbacks or flash-forwards., with events occurring The logical order of events in time, from beginning to middle to end.. This might include:
- exposition - introduces background events and characters
- rising action - a series of events that create suspense in the narrative
- climax - the part of the story where the suspense reaches its highest part
- falling action - the main conflict starts to resolve
- resolution - the conclusion of the story where questions are answered and loose ends are tied up
Structures can also be Not in order., with the action of the play moving forwards and back in time. This is done through the use of A scene enacting something that happened in the past; the enactment of a character's memory of a past event. and A scene enacting something that could happen in the future for the characters, or something that they imagine might be possible., to help make the play more exciting or to highlight points through contrast and To place two or more ideas/images close together to create further meaning for an audience..
Alternatively, plays may follow a Going in cycles, returning to where it began. structure, with the play ending at the same time as it began. This can be exciting for the audience as they try to work out how the character ended up in the position they see at the start of the play.
Traditionally, plays use In drama, an act is a section of the performance, usually made up of a number of scenes. and In a drama, a piece of action that occurs in one place without interruption. to help define particular moments in time, and a new scene will show the audience that the action is taking place in a different location.