Also in the nineteenth century, a play thatrigidly adhered to the structural elements outlined above became knownas a 'well-made play': a term still used today and often adheredto by contemporary writers. In the nineteenth century, Gustav Freytag graphed out the audience's rising level of suspense over the length of the play this has become known as Freytag's triangle. The decisive moment of the climaxwill determine the resolution of subplots, relationships, and minor characters'dilemmas. Because the climax is the decisive turning point of the play, after which suspense diminishes, the climaxof most plays is placed near the end of the plot.įollowing the climax, the playwright ties up loose ends during the falling action or dénouement. No matter what kind of event theclimax is, the climax marks the 'point of no return': the main actionor character of the play has moved in a direction from which there isno returning to earlier states of affairs. It may be a truth revealed, a choice made by a major character,or a reconciliation among characters.

Meanwhile, theselesser conflicts will help to build the suspense of the play as a whole.The climax of the play is the point at which the action changesdecisively. The playwright usually introduces many minor conflicts to keepthe audience engaged: each scene or section of a scene has a conflictwhich will develop, reach a climax, then be resolved. The higher the audience's desire tosee a resolution to the conflict, the higher the suspense. The suspense is created by the playwright's answering theearly questions brought forth during the exposition while introducingfurther, more important problems. After the inciting incident, the plot of the play normallybuilds in suspense until near the end this is often called risingaction. It may be a dramatic entrance, or a conflict betweentwo people on stage, or a piece of information uncovered that sets theplot in motion. The inciting incident is the first major action that takes placein the plot of a play.

British writer Tom Stoppard parodies this convention in hisplay The Real Inspector Hound: at the beginning of the play, themaid answers the telephone saying 'Hello, the drawing room of Lady Muldoon'scountry residence one morning in early spring?' The audience will alsodetermine the genre of the play and style of production during the exposition.An audience expects and needs this basic information people are uncomfortableif expository material does not set up basic expectations about the restof the play. The exposition is the early part of a play in which the audiencelearns where and when the play takes place, who the main characters are,and what the central conflict of the play will be. Different playwrights dramatizing thesame story will select different parts of the story and arrive at differentplots, depending on their interest in specific character, conflicts, orthemes suggested by a story. The plot is the playwright's selection of elements from the entire story thats/he wants to represent onstage. The story of a play is the entire historyof the central character or central relationship in the play, includingthings that happen before and after the play or off stage. There are several terms for structural elements of a plot that will helpyou to understand the playwright's work more fully, whether you are watchingor reading the play. Many writers, such as Shakespeareand Moliere (see image), have had long term associations with companies of actors, and they findthemselves writing for specific actors' strengths in performance. The writer finds what 'works' when the play begins to be interpretedand brought to life by other artists. No matter how carefully the author revises the structure ofa play, the rehearsal process will bring new problems to light and inspirenew ideas. Playwrights often write many drafts of a play, both before andafter it enters production, before the play reaches its final versionon stage.

He wanted a part in a play