Back to Blog
Define exposition in literature5/7/2023 The rising action is a series of events that ratchets up the tension until a pivotal moment. Rising action starts right after the exposition when we learn about the story’s character and setting. We won’t bother with all the other phases of the structure. German novelist Gustav Freytag developed the story pyramid in the mid-nineteenth century. The term rising action originated from Freytag’s story pyramid. Let’s look at how this technique plays out in different plot structures. That’s an example of how rising action works in a fictional story. So, the Prince banishes Romeo from fair Verona.Īnd we have reached our point of no return! Raging, Romeo forgets his newly formed family bond and kills Tybalt.ĭid I mention that Mercutio was kin to the Prince of Verona? Oh well, he was, and in this story, the Prince acts as the town’s mayor. Romeo tries to break up the fight, but Tybalt kills Mercutio. Romeo’s friend Mercutio steps in and duels Tybalt. Romeo, having just married a Capulet, now considers Tybalt family and refuses the challenge. He finds Romeo and challenges him to a duel. Tybalt is enraged that Romeo crashed the Capulet ball. Romeo and Juliet consummate their marriage. He finds Juliet and the two confess their undying love for each other.įriar Tuck, hoping to end the feud between their families, performs Romeo and Juliet’s wedding. So, as any teenage boy would, he commits criminal trespassing. The protagonist begins a search to fulfill their want:Īfter a chance encounter, Romeo discovers that he cannot live without this girl he just met. Remember Tybalt he’ll become important later. This feud doesn’t matter much to Romeo, but a Capulet, Tybalt, sees Romeo at the ball and is enraged. Romeo’s family, the Montagues, are at war with Juliet’s Capulets. However, he meets Juliet and falls in love with her instead. He agrees to attend a Capulet ball with Mercutio and Benvolio in hopes of seeing Rosalin. Romeo is depressed over his love for a Capulet girl, Rosalin. Let’s see how this pattern plays out in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: We talked about how rising action begins with a character discovering they want something and ends in a climax or point of no return. Examples of Rising Action: Literary Example of Rising Action in Romeo and Juliet: This gradual increase of tension and stakes is what keeps a reader engaged. This climax usually marks the end of rising action and the start of a story’s final act. This pattern of rising tension will continue until the character hits a point of no return- a climax. And, the tension of the story will gradually rise as the stakes increase. Your character will get in over their head. They will plunge deeper into their search with each move, and things will become more complicated than they realize. Along the way, they will make decisions and take action. So, the protagonist will set off to try and find that thing they want. How to keep readers engagedĪ character will start with a problem usually, they will want something. In a narrative, there should be a clear pattern of cause and effect. But, a plot isn’t just a retelling of events. In a story, you need things to happen to keep the plot moving. The rising action is what keeps readers or viewers engaged in a plot. The tension will build until the story hits a breaking point or the midpoint of the story. All of the character’s actions will raise the stakes of the story. Some of those decisions will work out, while others will blow up in the character’s face. The point is, your character will set off on a journey to find something.Īlong the way, a protagonist will make decisions that they believe will get them closer to their ultimate goal. The character may be on the hunt for purpose or self-respect. What the character is looking for could be physical, like a hidden treasure, or symbolic. The rising action starts when your character sets off to find something. The rising action is where the story truly begins. This event, or events, is a story beat where some force moves the protagonist out of their ordinary world. Rising action starts with a story beat called the inciting event. The author will also tell us about the story’s setting, usually by showing the characters’ ordinary lives. During the exposition, the author introduces our main character(s). Rising action takes place after the exposition or beginning of the story. Each of these events creates tension until we reach a climactic event or point of no return. The rising action is part of a story that builds conflict through decisions made by the protagonist or events that happen to the protagonist.
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |