Every literary work is subject to the laws of the genre. Failure to do this leads to a breakdown in composition. The climax is the most exciting moment in the story. It is very important for every reader, and especially a writer, to understand what it is.

Basic elements of the composition of a literary plot work

TO plot genres include stories, novels, novels. The works included in this group are necessarily built around a conflict that develops throughout the description.

Then he reaches highest point voltage. The climax is the very moment when the denouement is inevitable.

Thus, there are four main plot elements to highlight. These are the “4 pillars” on which the composition of a literary work of this genre is based.

Exposition - a description of the time, place, character of the characters.

The plot is an event that served to aggravate the contradiction or became the starting point of the storyline.

The climax is the moment of critical tension in the situation.

The denouement is the event that served as the resolution of the conflict, the finishing touch in the description.

Example of composition in a work

Turning to the work of Mark Twain, you can consider the storyline of the episode with painting the fence. The plot of the story is that Tom Sawyer was punished by his aunt.

Then a smart thought comes to the head of the smart guy: he decides to “sell” the opportunity to pick up a brush! This is where the climax comes - this is the most exciting moment in the episode, because the reader does not know how the hero’s new adventure will end, his interest is sufficiently piqued.

And here's the ending - the guys vying with each other to offer the most precious things they own in exchange. A few minutes later the fence is painted, and Tom himself becomes a real “rich man”, having received “countless gifts”: boxes and broken toys, dead cat and an apple core.

Place of climax in a literary work

The view on the composition of a literary work is strictly individual. The writer does not necessarily follow the classic version, when exposition, plot, climax, and denouement appear in his work in this order. Often the author skips exposition altogether, leaving the reader to get to know the characters as they read. Sometimes the climax is placed at the very beginning of an action-packed work. The denouement comes at the very end, stimulating you to read the work to the end. The climax at the very beginning immediately grabs the reader's attention and arouses interest.

“My hands were aching. From somewhere above, vile cold drops dripped onto my head. With difficulty opening his eyes, Mikhail saw the gloomy walls of the basement. And in the opposite corner, a terrible huge rat was brazenly crunching something.

Taking a closer look, Mikhail realized with horror that this was the same basement! And then he heard someone’s steps, then the turning of a key in the keyhole... The end was inevitable. But it doesn't have to be that way. And Mikhail already knew what he would do in the next minute..."

After reading such a beginning, a lover of horror, detective or thriller films will never put the book aside. Why did the hero end up in this situation? What will he do next? Will he be able to escape? Actually, these are only some of the questions that will come to the reader’s mind.

The denouement, its place in the composition

It is worth noting that this element can also appear at the beginning of the story as intrigue. For example, in this form.

“Maria entered the hall and with her peripheral vision noticed that everyone present turned their heads in her direction. Conversations died down for a moment. The delight in the eyes of the males spilled into the soul as a wave of hatred and contempt. All this - both recognition and admiration - is just the hypnotic effect of diamonds, she knew it!”

And then - a transition to the past, a reference to a hungry childhood, when that “hog with a fat double chin, today smiling ingratiatingly and obsequiously catching her gaze,” passing by them, sitting with their mother and begging for help, curled his lips in disgust.

part three

It is more difficult for a writer to describe the everyday
life than an exclusive situation.
Ilya Shevelev

According to the laws of literature, the plot of any work must be completed

IN classic version a plot is considered such if it contains five components: exposition (and plot), development of action, climax, winding down of action And denouement. Subjects modern works often built according to a lightweight scheme: plot – development of action – climax – denouement or even more simplified plot – action – climax (aka denouement).

The classical scheme is more suitable for solid, slowly developing plots; it is used when writing thick books, scripts for plays, and thoughtful films. The lightweight scheme is better suited to our high-speed world; it is used to write scripts for cartoons and action films, as well as for all kinds of comics and other graphic works where the quality of the plot, such as its rapid development, is important.

Which scheme you prefer is up to you to decide. Below I will show you different options development of the action and give you a couple of tips on how to build a plot depending on the genre of the work. But first, first things first.

1.Exposition.

First of all, we inform the reader about where and at what time the action takes place, introduce the characters, briefly tell their story, and introduce the reader to them. There is no conflict here yet, as such, but the prerequisites for it can be identified.
Lorraine moves to new apartment, meets neighbors, calls a friend– this is our exposition: we introduced the reader to the main character, indicated the time and place of action, indirectly told about the rest characters. The beginnings of the conflict here can be shown through the peculiar relationships of the girls, on the basis of which the shoots of misunderstanding and jealousy will soon arise.
How long the exposition will be depends entirely on the author and his intention. For works with a fast-paced plot, a couple of lines are enough to introduce the reader to the essence of the matter; for works with a protracted plot, the introduction is usually made larger. Try not to overdo it, not to stretch the tie and at the same time not to crumple it too much.

2. The beginning.

Not to be confused with exposure! Actually plot– this is the event from which it all begins. We can say this: if a conflict is the cause of a war, then the beginning is a reason for it, like a violation of a peace treaty.
And in our story, what will serve as a “trigger” for the development of the plot, what event? I think that the action will begin with the acquaintance of our heroines with the handsome Dave, because it is after this that everything will start spinning and spinning. This means that in our case, the beginning of the plot can be considered the dating scene.
Usually the plot is the moment when the hero is confronted with important task, which he must fulfill, or he, the hero, must make his choice. The author usually uses this situation, to define the conflict, show exactly where the hero and villain are at odds, describe exactly how each of them perceives the problem facing them, and subtly hint at what each of them intends to do next.

Now, a young man appeared in the girls’ field of vision, whom they both liked, but he liked Lorraine more, and Inga was infuriated by this. Lorraine is embarrassed that this happened, but she likes the guy and intends to continue their acquaintance. Inga is annoyed, but is not going to do anything yet; she chose to step aside and let her friend do whatever she sees fit.

At the same time, the writer, having ensured that the reader is clearly interested in his story, slowly begins to unwind his intrigue (who will win and who will be left with his nose? How will it end?) and at the same time, gradually presenting to us the main idea of ​​the work (“friendship and love will win all" or, conversely, "no friendship, even the strongest, can withstand betrayal").
There doesn't have to be just one premise; In serious works, authors usually put many plot lines at once - love line, family, detective, political and other, other. The authors of series usually limit themselves to one single line, but no one is stopping you from making several of them. So, as many storylines as there will be, there will be as many ties; they can be scattered throughout the text, but don’t forget: every situation must have a logical conclusion, which means that every tying will have a continuation and denouement. There should be no storylines started but not completed.

3. Development of action in an ascending manner.

This is where the unlimited flight of fantasy begins! The author invents the most incredible plot moves, places the characters in different difficult situations, describes their experiences on this matter and tells us how trials strengthen the characters’ characters, what lessons they learn for themselves.

Heroes must change, this is very important! If the character has not changed at all from the first to the last episode, if he is still the same and perceives the world the same way as before, if he has not learned any valuable lessons for himself, then you have not fulfilled your task as a writer. Why did this story need to be told? What was its deep meaning? What did the author want to tell us? It turns out that there was no point, I didn’t want to say anything, and, in general, there was nothing to talk about.

The action should not be incoherent: our heroes were caught by a maniac, but they, having somehow escaped from their tormentor, find themselves at an abandoned nuclear power plant for no reason. Plot moves should “cling” to each other, like loops in knitting, then you will get a solid sock, that is, excuse me, a story.
It would be best if, before describing any move, you slightly “reveal your cards” in advance and give a modest, imperceptible hint that, very possibly, such and such will happen soon. Just a hint, nothing more. For example, if you planned that in an episode or two your hero will threaten someone with a gun, it would be nice to announce now that this cute young man is the proud owner firearms or has the habit of going to the shooting range, where he was noticed as a good shooter. At least, when the reader sees that your Cool Walker is taking aim at his opponent and threatening to shoot off an important part of the poor fellow’s body, he will not have the feeling that he, the reader, was hit in the head with a log. On the contrary, he will be pleased with himself: wow, I’m still in last episode I guessed what to expect from this ranger!

Everything you hinted at in the opening should be developed and fleshed out. The conflict must grow steadily. Let the characters show themselves from different sides, let new participants be involved in the conflict, let those who initially remained silent speak out.

Take, for example, our conflict, which we have already outlined. Two friends quarreled over a guy and are trying to share him, and at the same time maintain friendly relations. And the guy? How does he feel in such a situation? What does he want? What are his intentions regarding each of the girls? Or maybe he doesn't care?

Steadily develop the storyline from episode to episode. If there are several storylines, it is even more interesting, let them intersect, intertwine, “push” each other. The heroine is more likely to commit suicide if her friend betrayed her, she ran out of money, and she had problems at work than if any of these troubles occurred.
So, gradually building up the tension, we step by step bring the heroes to the very important stage throughout history. This climax.

[Dramaturgy] - lecture for lesson 5:
"Composition. Part 2. Plot composition"

What is included in the plot composition?

Exposition - plot - development of action - climax - denouement - finale

All these points are related to the laws of spectator perception.

The first 10 minutes – you need to interest.
Next is to maintain his attention.
Then increase the tension, increase the viewer's attention.
Then bring the tension to the limit.
And in the end - not to disappoint the viewer, to please the ending.

EXPOSITION

E x p o s i t i o n- period of the film,
preceding the development of the conflict.

From the exposition the viewer must understand:

• Who are the heroes (who is who)
• What is the situation (where to act)
• What is the situation (that could turn into a conflict)
• What is the theme of the film
• What genre of the film?

The exposition should be well written; it is one of the most important parts of the film.

Types of exposure:

• direct (presentation of the hero “as is”)
• delayed (let's say the murder happens first, and only then we see what and how)

Remembering O Henry. Where is the exhibition?

In a small block west of Washington Square - SETTING

Jonesy is a diminutive of Joanna. One came from Maine, the other from California. As a result, there arose shared studio. - HEROES

In November, an inhospitable stranger, whom doctors call Pneumonia, walked invisibly around the colony. - SITUATION

When did the exhibition end?
When Jonesy got sick.

Why did it end?
Because we had a problem.

TIE

Request- this is the moment of beginning
main conflict action.

If the exposition is a time period, then the beginning is a certain POINT from where everything begins.

Where is this point in O. Henry's story?

“She has one chance... well, let’s say, against ten,” he said, shaking off the mercury in the thermometer. - And only if she herself wants to live. Our entire pharmacopoeia becomes meaningless when people begin to act in the interests of the undertaker. Your little lady has decided that she will never get better. What is she thinking about?

The very fact that she got sick means nothing to the “spectator”. But the doctor’s conclusion is already information that excites us!

It is sometimes said that films have several plots. This is true - after all, there are also several conflicts in the film.

But the beginning of the main conflict is ONE!

Often the plot is preceded by a “provoking event,” that is, something that escalates the conflict immediately before the plot. Regarding Hamlet, for example, this is the appearance of his father's shadow.

ACTION DEVELOPMENT:

Development of action- This is the largest part of the film, escalating the conflict and leading to its climax.

That is, the conflict escalates several times.

Regarding O Henry, the heroines talk twice, and the atmosphere is heightened twice. Episodes with Berman are also added there.

You can increase the tension

• sudden news
• the appearance of a new character
• memory
• and so on

CLIMAX

K u l m i n a t i o n- moment
the highest tension of the conflict.

This is PIC! Moment! POINT OF HIGHEST TENSION.

The climax is not something that has already happened.

And the moment of waiting, what will happen?!

That is, not when a person is shot, but when he waits: to shoot or not.

If you determine that the climax has occurred, but after that the tension is still increasing, then there is a mistake, you found the climax incorrectly.

Therefore, more full definition the climax looks like this:

K u l m i n a t i o n– the moment of the highest and last
tensions of the main conflict.

Often, before the climax, the pace of the film usually either sharply accelerates or slows down sharply, which sharpens the audience's interest.

There are also two climaxes. But one of them is always more important, as in the case of the beginning.

And finally, where is the climax of O Henry?

At the moment when the curtain is raised and we wait to see whether the sheet is hanging there or not. It’s as if we hear “drumsticks” before the denouement suddenly overtakes us.

INTERCLOSURE

Discussion- the final segment of the plot development, its outcome.

The denouement, as a rule, comes immediately (!) after the climax.

For example, in Pulp Fiction, when Jules lets the robbers go.

But sometimes, this is not the case. Sunset Boulevard, for example, begins with a denouement - the death of the main character.

Sometimes instead of a denouement you should:

Disaster- a destructive event
untying all knots of conflicts.

Let's say the action was unfolding, and then we had, say, a volcanic eruption. Then the denouement lies precisely in this eruption.

FINAL

F i n a l- the final point of the picture,
revealing its meaning.

Often, it is the ending, and not the climax and denouement, that defines a film. After all, it is in the finale that you can show the hero’s reaction to the events that happened and give the viewer the emotion that he wanted to see.

Types of finals:

Closed final.
There are no questions about the film. Good/evil has won, all conflicts are over.
For example, "Pulp Fiction".

Open final
Questions still remain, and the action may continue. For example, Blade Runner.

Dual ending
A combination of the past two.
For example, "Nights of Cabiria"

Offers several definitions of the concept “plot”. According to Ozhegov, plot in literature is the order and connection of events. Ushakov's dictionary suggests that they be considered a set of actions, the sequence and motivation for the unfolding of what is happening in a work.

Relationship with plot

In modern Russian criticism, plot has a completely different definition. The plot in literature is understood as the course of events against the background of which the confrontation is revealed. The plot is the main artistic conflict.

However, other points of view on this issue have existed in the past and continue to exist. Russian critics mid-19th centuries, supported by Veselovsky and Gorky, considered the compositional aspect of the plot, that is, how exactly the author communicates the content of his work. And the plot in literature is, in their opinion, the actions and relationships of the characters.

This interpretation is directly opposite to that in Ushakov’s dictionary, in which the plot is the content of events in their sequential connection.

Finally, there is a third point of view. Those who adhere to it believe that the concept of “plot” independent meaning does not, and when analyzing it is quite enough to use the terms “plot”, “composition” and “plot diagram”.

Types and variants of product schemes

Modern analysts distinguish two main types of plot: chronicle and concentric. They differ from each other in the nature of the connections between events. Main factor, so to speak, is time. The chronic type reproduces its natural course. Concentric - focuses no longer on the physical, but on the mental.

Concentric plots in literature are detective stories, thrillers, social and psychological novels, dramas. Chronicle is more common in memoirs, sagas, and adventure works.

Concentric plot and its features

In the case of this type of course of events, a clear cause-and-effect relationship between the episodes can be traced. Plot development in literature of this type proceeds consistently and logically. It is easy to highlight the beginning and end here. Previous actions are the causes of subsequent ones, all events seem to be pulled together into one node. The writer explores one conflict.

Moreover, the work can be either linear or multilinear - the cause-and-effect relationship is preserved just as clearly, moreover, any new storylines appear as a result of events that have already happened. All parts of a detective story, thriller or story are built on a clearly expressed conflict.

Chronicle story

It can be contrasted with concentric, although in fact there is not an opposite here, but a completely different principle of construction. These types of plots in literature can interpenetrate each other, but most often either one or the other is decisive.

The change of events in a work built on a chronicle principle is tied to time. There may be no clear connection, no strict logical cause-and-effect relationship (or at least this connection is not obvious).

Such a work can be about many episodes, the only thing they have in common is that they happen in chronological sequence. A chronicle plot in literature is a multi-conflict and multi-component canvas, where contradictions arise and fade, and one is replaced by another.

Commencement, climax, denouement

In works whose plot is based on conflict, it is essentially a scheme, a formula. It can be divided into its constituent parts. The elements of plot in literature include exposition, setup, conflict, rising action, crisis, climax, falling action, and resolution.

Of course, not all of the above elements are present in every work. More often you can find several of them, for example, plot, conflict, development of action, crisis, climax and denouement. On the other hand, it matters how exactly the work is analyzed.

The exhibition in this regard is the most static part. Its task is to introduce some of the characters and the setting of the action.

The plot describes one or more events that give rise to the main action. The development of the plot in literature goes through conflict, rising action, crisis to climax. She is the peak of the work, playing significant role in revealing the characters' characters and in developing the conflict. The denouement adds the final touches to the story being told and to the characters.

In literature, a certain plot structure has developed, which is psychologically justified from the point of view of its influence on the reader. Each element described has its place and meaning.

If a story does not fit into the scheme, it seems sluggish, incomprehensible, and illogical. For a work to be interesting, for readers to empathize with the characters and delve into what is happening to them, everything in it must have its place and develop in accordance with these psychological laws.

Plots of ancient Russian literature

Ancient Russian literature, according to D. S. Likhachev, is “literature of one theme and one plot.” World history and meaning human life- these are the main, deep motives and themes of the writers of those times.

Subjects ancient Russian literature are revealed to us in lives, epistles, walks (descriptions of travel), chronicles. The names of the authors of most of them are unknown. According to the time interval, the Old Russian group includes works written in the 11th-17th centuries.

The diversity of modern literature

Attempts to classify and describe the plots used have been made more than once. In his book The Four Cycles, Jorge Luis Borges suggested that in world literature there are only four types:

• about search;
• about the suicide of God;
• about the long return;
• about the assault and defense of a fortified city.

Christopher Booker identified seven: rags to riches (or vice versa), adventure, there and back again (Tolkien's The Hobbit comes to mind), comedy, tragedy, resurrection and defeating the monster. Georges Polti reduced the entire experience of world literature to 36 plot collisions, and Kipling identified 69 of their variants.

Even specialists of other profiles were not left indifferent by this question. According to Jung, the famous Swiss psychiatrist and founder of analytical psychology, the main subjects of literature are archetypal, and there are only six of them - the shadow, anima, animus, mother, old man and child.

Index to folk tales

Perhaps most of all, the Aarne-Thompson-Uther system “highlighted” the possibilities for writers - it recognizes the existence of approximately 2500 options.

We are, however, talking about folklore here. This system is a directory, an index fairy tales, known to science at the time of compilation of this monumental work.

There is only one definition for the course of events here. The plot in literature of this kind looks like this: “The persecuted stepdaughter is taken into the forest and abandoned there. Baba Yaga, or Morozko, or Leshy, or 12 months, or Winter, test her and reward her. Native daughter The stepmother also wants to receive a gift, but does not pass the test and dies.”

In fact, Aarne himself established no more than a thousand options for the development of events in the fairy tale, but he allowed for the possibility of new ones and left a place for them in his original classification. This was the first index that came into scientific use and was recognized by the majority. Subsequently, scientists from many countries made their additions to it.

In 2004, an edition of the directory appeared, in which descriptions fairy tale types have been updated and made more accurate. This version of the index contained 250 new types.

The theme of a drama is its unified action. The theme of Macbeth is ambition. The theme of Romeo and Juliet is love. The theme primarily shapes the drama.

The plot is a theme in a more specific form. The plot of "Macbeth": Macbeth strives for power and commits atrocities for this. Plot of "Romeo and Juliet": Romeo and Juliet love each other; The Montagues and Capulets interfere with their love. – In other words, the plot determines the main line of the dramatic struggle.

The plot of a drama is a system of the most important circumstances and the sequence of the most significant events that determine the dramatic struggle. (When retelling the plot, the “dramatic knot” and the most acute moments of the dramatic struggle should be noted)

Intrigue in drama is sometimes called sequential actions of one of the characters, subordinate to a conscious plan. For example, in Othello, Iago leads the intrigue. Sometimes the intrigue of a drama is called all the interactions of the participants in the drama, the relationship of individual intrigues. In the extreme general view The plot is a kind of basic scheme of the work, including the sequence of actions occurring in the work and the totality of the character relationships existing in it. Typically, the plot includes the following elements: exposition (Exposition (Latin expositio - display, presentation) in literary criticism and folklore - part of the work that precedes the beginning of the deployment of units of the structure of the work, in particular, part of the work in drama, epic, lyric poetry, which precedes the beginning of the plot. In the exposition, the arrangement of the characters follows, the circumstances arise, the reasons that “trigger” the plot conflict are shown. The exposition can follow both before the plot and after. In folklore, it is also part of the cumulative work, preceding the beginning of the development of the elements of cumulation.

Exposition is the beginning of the main events in the work), the plot (The plot is the event that is the beginning of the action. It either reveals existing contradictions, or itself creates (“knots”) conflicts.

Thus, in William Shakespeare’s tragedy “Hamlet, Prince of Denmark,” the plot is the meeting of Hamlet (the main character of the tragedy) with a ghost, and the subsequent decision to take revenge on the treacherous king for the murder of his father.

The plot is one of the key elements of the plot.), development of action, climax, denouement (The denouement of the plot is the outcome of events, the resolution of the contradictions of the plot.) and postposition, as well as, in some works, prologue and epilogue. The main prerequisite for the development of the plot is time, and in historical terms ( historical period actions of the work), and in the physical (the passage of time during the work).

Plot and plot. The concept of plot is closely related to the concept of the plot of the work. In modern Russian literary criticism (as well as in the practice of school teaching of literature), the term “plot” usually refers to the very course of events in a work, and the plot is understood as the main artistic conflict that develops in the course of these events. Historically, other views on the relationship between plot and plot have existed and continue to exist. For example:

Ushakov’s explanatory dictionary defines plot as “a set of actions, events in which the main content of a work of art is revealed,” and plot as “the content of events depicted in literary work, in their sequential connection." Thus, the plot, in contrast to the plot, is attributed to the obligatory presentation of the events of the work in their time sequence.

The previous interpretation was supported in the 1920s by representatives of OPOYAZ, who proposed to distinguish between two sides of the narrative: they called the very development of events in the world of the work “plot”, and the way these events are depicted by the author - “plot”.

Another interpretation comes from Russian critics of the mid-19th century and was also supported by A. N. Veselovsky and M. Gorky: they called the plot the very development of the action of the work, adding to this the relationships of the characters, and by the plot they understood the compositional side of the work, that is, how exactly the author reports the content of the plot. It is easy to see that the meanings of the terms “plot” and “fable” in this interpretation, compared to the previous one, change places.

Finally, there is also a point of view that the concept of “plot” has no independent meaning, and to analyze a work it is quite enough to operate with the concepts of “plot”, “plot diagram” (that is, plot in the sense of the first two of the above options), “plot composition” (the way the author presents the events from the plot outline).

Typology of plots. Repeated attempts have been made to classify the plots of literary works, divide them according to various criteria, and highlight the most typical ones. The analysis made it possible, in particular, to identify a large group of so-called “wandering plots” - plots that are repeated many times in different designs among different peoples and in different regions, mostly in folk art(fairy tales, myths, legends).

According to A.E. Neamtsu, from the whole variety of traditional plots, four main genetic groups can be distinguished: mythological, folklore, historical and literary.

As noted by Prof. E.M. Meletinsky, “most traditional plots in the West go back to biblical and ancient myths.”

There are several attempts to reduce the diversity of plots to a small, but at the same time comprehensive set of plot schemes. In the famous short story “The Four Cycles,” Borges claims that all plots come down to just four options:

On the assault and defense of the fortified city (Troy)

About the Long Return (Odysseus)

About the search (Jason)

On the suicide of a god (Odin, Attis)

PERIPETIA (Greek peripe’teia - “sudden turn”), as defined by Aristotle (“Poetics”, Chapter XI) is “the transformation of an action into its opposite”, one of the essential elements of complicating a tragic plot. Examples illustrating this definition (for example, in “Oedipus the King” the shepherd, who appears to reveal to Oedipus his origin and thereby dispel his fear, achieves the opposite effect with his exposure), allow us to compare the Aristotelian peripeteia with the “tragic irony” of modern aesthetics, but, in general speaking, the term “peripeteia” is used more broadly by Aristotle, denoting any unexpected turn in the development of the plot. Lessing and many other theorists of tragedy attributed to Aristotle an understanding of this term and themselves understood it in the sense of that turning point of a tragic action (and not a specific “action”, an act that Aristotle apparently had in mind), which determines the beginning of the descending line of “denouement” " (cm.).

In modern literary criticism, the term “P.” is sometimes applied to non-dramatic types of verbal art, for example. to the development of the plot of the epic (see) and novel (see).