Plot


 * Exposition** – “A narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work, that provides necessary background information about the characters and their circumstances. Exposition explains what has gone on before, the relationships between characters, the development of a theme, and the introduction of a conflict (Meyer 2130).”

Example: The Opening to Shawshank Redemption

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In this scene, the narrator, Red, introduces himself as the guy who can get things. He also refers back to doing a favor for Andy Defrain, the main protagonist. The movie also shows that the setting is in a prison, a place for much conflict.


 * Rising Action** – “That part of the story, including the exposition, in which events start moving toward a climax. In the rising action the protagonist usually faces the complications of the plot to reach his or her goal (Kennedy, Gioia 831).”

Example: In this scene, Helms Deep is breached and the orcs are about to break the final gate, where all the civilians reside. media type="youtube" key="NIOICM-HmLw?version=3" height="360" width="640"

When Aragorn, the protagonist, and the rest of the men ride out, this becomes the turning point in the battle where the riders go out and kill a lot of orcs before Gandalf's arrival.


 * Climax** – “A point of high emotional intensity, the crisis or turning point in a drama or story. Int the tightly constricted plot of a tragedy, there is often one major climax, but in an episodic structure there may be a series of climaxes of varying intensities (Frye 106).”

Example: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince



As the highest point of emotional intensity, Snape killing Dumbledore was clearly the climax of the movie.


 * Resolution** – “The final part of a narrative, the concluding action or actions that follow the climax (Kennedy, Gioia 831).”

Example: The ending scene of Fight Club



After taking a drastic step to rid himself of his "problem", the protagonist realizes that he is truly free.


 * Denoument** – “A French term meaning ‘unraveling’ or ‘unknotting,’ used to describe the resolution of the plot following the climax (Meyer 2126).”

Example: Sherlock Holmes



When Holmes defeats Blackwood, he reveals how he uncovered Blackwood's secrets and how he was able to defeat him.