Plot

No conflict situation can be reduced to conflict!

Plot analysis. Composition analysis. Composition system. Speech analysis.

Revealing genre aspect. Character Development by the Playwright.

FABULA is something that can be selected from the play (excerpt, series of events).

PLOT - impossible to retell. In any retelling the WORLD disappears

WORKS.

FABULA is something that is easy to isolate from a work and can be retold.

“Connections, contradictions, likes and dislikes, and in general the relationships of people

the history of growth and organization of one type or another is a plot,” as defined by M. Gorky.

“We call the plot the action of a work in its entirety, the real chain of depicted movements” V. Kozhakov.

The plot is a complete work.

Plot is something that can be explained through everything.

The plot is the smallest details, the slightest movement.

The plot is the backbone, the sequence of events and everything else.

The plot is an aesthetic concept, it is an image of the artistic world.

In real life, some event can happen in a moment, but in works such moments can be described on several pages.

The plot is very important in drama.

(The completeness of the ethical work in Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” cannot be perceived as occurring in modern life)

The plot helps to correlate art world With real life, because many works can be easily compared to our life and our time.

The plot is the starting point for comparing the artistic world with the real world.

Fabula - helps to correlate artistic space with space real world; the artistic world refracted into the real.

The plot is the backbone that has a beginning and an end, has great meaning, and helps the director understand the play.

Tension always depends on the rapid change of events. You need to know WHAT to take the viewer with. The differences between the events help to implant the hero of the play.

1- Exposition – where opposing forces are at rest, there can be no conflict

All elements are considered in relation to the conflict. The exhibition tells about the background, about the forces that come into conflict. They all necessarily belong to the exhibition.

On traditional type character of the play can be presented and attributed to any part of it. It could be like separate part, or dispersed throughout the play. Most often, a play begins with exposition.

The director can invent the initial event himself, but his goal is to precisely hit the climax. The forces have not yet been activated.

2- The plot is the beginning of the conflict in the play. A focus that brings together all the forces that discover their goals.

The beginning and end of the plot.

The plot of literary works consists mainly of four elements: exposition, beginning, climax and resolution. This is largely determined by cause-and-effect relationships, the temporal sequence of the author’s presentation of events. The main thing in the plot is the main action and the heroes of the work who participate in this action. What plot elements do this main action involve?

Plot elements

The exposition presents the reader with the circumstances and environment in which the character finds himself before the action begins. It can be brief or, conversely, widespread. The exposition introduces you to the action, explains some points that may be further incomprehensible to you. Moreover, the exposition, contrary to its essence, can be presented after other plot elements. As an example of such a change in the sequence of elements, in which the exposure is postponed, one can cite Turgenev’s work “Knock... knock... knock...”. However, there is rarely any direct indication of the main action in the exposition.

The plot lies in the very initial moment of the development of events that are depicted in literary work. It can be a prepared exposition, or, due to the lack of special preparation, it can give the action a special, unique sharpness and swiftness. The action itself begins with the beginning.

The climax is highest degree tension in the work. For example, in the comedy A.S. Griboedov's "Woe from Wit" culminates in the scene when Chatsky is declared crazy. Particular acuteness of climactic tension is observed in dramatic works. The climax is the center of the main action, the participants of which are the main characters work of art.

The final moment in the development of action is the denouement. It relieves climactic tension and fleshes out the characters. The outcome of a work of art depends on the idea and intention of the author.

The main thing in the plot, of course, is the plot, climax and denouement, since it is in these elements that the main action lies.

The presence of a plot in works of art

Sometimes in epic, lyric-epic, and dramatic works there is no plot. In such works, a large role is assigned to descriptive elements and author’s digressions.

In addition, many works of art have multiple plots. These are mostly novels dramatic works, where several storylines are conducted in parallel. A striking example can serve as " Human Comedy» Honore de Balzac, which includes more than a hundred philosophical and fantastic plots. And here it is quite difficult to find the central storyline, the main conflict and, accordingly, the main thing in this plot. Therefore, when determining the central plot line in such works, the historical context must be taken into account. Having identified the main plot, you can find its beginning, climax and denouement.

Plot and composition. Stages of plot development

I. PLOT - the entire system of actions and interactions consistently combined in a work.

1. PLOT ELEMENTS (stages of action development, plot composition)

EXPOSITION- background, outlining the characters and circumstances that developed before the development of the main storyline.

TIE- the starting point for the development of the main storyline, the main conflict.

ACTION DEVELOPMENT- part of the plot between the beginning and the climax.

CLIMAX - highest point development of action, tension of conflict before the final denouement.

INTERCLOSURE- completion of the plot, resolution (or destruction) of the conflict.

2. NON-PLOT ELEMENTS

At the beginning of the work

• NAME
• DEDICATION
• EPIGRAPH- a quotation from another work placed by the author before his own work or part of it.
• PREFACE, INTRODUCTION, PROLOGUE

• LYRICAL DISCOVERY- a deviation from the plot in a lyric-epic or epic work.
• HISTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL DISCUSSION
• INSERT STORY, EPISODE, SONG, POEM
• REMARK- author's explanations in a dramatic work.
• AUTHOR'S NOTE

• EPILOGUE, AFTERWORD- the final part of the work after the completion of the main plot, telling about future fate characters.

• The arrangement of its parts in a certain system and sequence. In epic - fragments of text, chapters, parts, volumes (books), in lyrics - stanzas, verses; in drama - phenomena, scenes, actions (acts).

• Correlation of storylines.
• The ratio of plot lines and non-plot elements.
• Composition of the plot.
• Artistic media creating images.
• System of images (characters).

Exposition - time, place of action, composition and relationships of characters. If the exposure is placed at the beginning of the work, it is called direct, if in the middle - delayed.

Omen- hints that foreshadow further development plot.

The plot is an event that provokes the development of a conflict.

Conflict is the opposition of heroes to something or someone. This is the basis of the work: no conflict - nothing to talk about. Types of conflicts:

• person (humanized character) versus person (humanized character);
• man against nature (circumstances);
• man against society;
• man versus technology;
• man versus supernatural;
• man against himself.

Rising Action- a series of events that originates from a conflict. The action builds up and reaches its peak at the climax.

Crisis - the conflict reaches its peak. The opposing sides meet face to face. The crisis occurs either immediately before the climax or simultaneously with it.

The climax is the result of a crisis. This is often the most interesting and significant moment in the work. The hero either breaks down or grits his teeth and prepares to go to the end.

Descending action- a series of events or actions of heroes leading to a denouement.

Denouement - the conflict is resolved: the hero either achieves his goal, is left with nothing, or dies.

Why is it important to know the basics of plotting?

Because over the centuries of the existence of literature, humanity has developed a certain scheme for the impact of a story on the psyche. If the story does not fit into it, it seems sluggish and illogical.

In complex works with many storylines all of the above elements may appear repeatedly; moreover, key scenes novels are subject to the same laws of plot construction: let us remember the description of the Battle of Borodino in War and Peace.

Plausibility

Transitions from initiation to conflict to resolution must be believable. For example, you cannot send a lazy hero on a journey just because you want to. Any character must have a good reason to act one way or another.

If Ivanushka the Fool mounts a horse, let him drive strong emotion: love, fear, thirst for revenge, etc.

Logic and common sense are necessary in every scene: if the hero of the novel is an idiot, he, of course, can go into a forest infested with poisonous dragons. But if he reasonable person, he will not meddle there without a serious reason.

God ex machina

The denouement is the result of the characters' actions and nothing else. In ancient plays, all problems could be resolved by a deity lowered onto the stage on strings. Since then, the absurd ending, when all conflicts are eliminated with a wave of the wand of a sorcerer, angel or boss, has been called “god ex machina.” What suited the ancients only irritates the moderns.

The reader feels deceived if the characters are simply lucky: for example, a lady finds a suitcase with money just when she needs to pay interest on a loan. The reader respects only those heroes who deserve it - that is, they did something worthy.

The concept and structure of the plot of the work

Plot is a set of incidents, the course of events in narrative and dramatic (sometimes in lyrical) works.

The term “plot” itself was first introduced in the 17th century by classicists P. Corneille and N. Boileau, but Aristotle already paid attention to this concept. What is now called “plot”, Aristotle called “legend”. At the same time, he emphasized that it is the events depicted, that is, the plot, and not the characters, that form the basis of the tragedy. “Tragedy,” he asserts, “is an imitation of an action,” and “the imitation of an action itself is a legend... I call a combination of events a legend.” And further: “Consequently, the beginning and, as it were, the soul of the tragedy is the legend, and only secondarily - the characters.” Ancient Roman writers coined the term “fabula” (fabula - story, fable), also referring to the course of events depicted in a work of art.

The use of different designations for the same concept has led to some terminological confusion. Sometimes plot and plot are considered synonymous concepts. In other cases, the entire course of events is called the plot, and the plot is only the main conflict or the central intrigue of the action.

The problem of the relationship between the concepts of “plot” and “plot” is discussed in detail in the works of G. Pospelov. Pospelov calls “the plot” “the events themselves,” and “the plot” is “the narration of the events.” With this understanding, it seems possible to clearly define the difference between these two terms. The plot may differ from the plot: firstly, in the order of the narration, i.e. the events (plot) may not be told in chronological order, but with permutations and omissions. This is exactly how the events are presented in M. Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time.” Secondly, the difference may be determined by the "motivation of the narrative" (the account of events may be given in the form of a letter, a diary, or in the form of a memoir). Finally, the difference is related to the “subject of the narration” - the narration can be conducted on behalf of the hero or on behalf of the author. Thus, in the theory of G. Pospelov, the plot, understood as “the events themselves,” appears as something stable, chronologically fixed, while the “story about events” (fable) can be conducted by different persons, in various forms and with a violation of chronology. It follows from this that in some works “plot” and “plot” can practically coincide. In others, where the author resorts to various “plot devices,” they differ significantly from each other.

As already noted, plot is not necessary for all literary works. In lyrical poems it is most often absent, since they express the poet’s feelings, not events. Of course, dramatic events can also be depicted in poetry ("Ruslan and Lyudmila" by A. Pushkin, "Vasily Terkin" by A. Tvardovsky, ballads by V. Zhukovsky). Sometimes the plot may be missing in prose works(prose poem by M. Prishvin “Phacelia”).

The plot is revealed in drama and especially in epic in many aspects, expressing different faces the individuality of the heroes. The plot in a literary work includes the entire event side, or the external actions of the heroes; their external and internal statements that move the action, and, thanks to this, the underlying conflicts or collisions develop; a narration about the experiences and mental demands of the characters, the dynamics of their thoughts and feelings.

The first aspect of plot is usually called external plot, the third - internal plot, the second refers equally to external and internal action. These aspects of the plot are distinguished in both drama and epic

The conflict of the work has a close relationship with the “plot” and “fable”: it is its driving force and determines the main stages of plot development: the origin of the conflict - the beginning, the highest aggravation - the climax, the resolution of the conflict - the denouement. Usually the conflict appears in the form of a collision (sometimes these terms are interpreted as synonyms), that is, a direct collision and confrontation between those depicted in the work current forces-- characters and circumstances, several characters or different sides of one character. There are four main types of conflict:

natural or physical conflict, when the hero enters into a fight with nature;

social conflict, when a person is challenged by another person or society;

internal or psychological conflict, when a person’s desires conflict with his conscience;

providential conflict when a person opposes the laws of fate or some deity.

The plot consists of the following main elements: exposition, beginning, development of action, climax and resolution.

Exposition-- the most static part of the plot. Its purpose is to introduce some of the characters of the work and the setting of the action. The main plot action in the exposition has not yet begun. The exposition only motivates the actions that will occur subsequently, as if sheds light on them. Note that one should not expect to get to know all the characters from the exposition. It may include minor persons. Sometimes it is the appearance of the main thing actor completes the exposition and is the beginning of the action (for example, the appearance of Chatsky in A.S. Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit”).

The exhibition often uses a narrative device called background. An extensive background to Onegin is contained, for example, in the exhibition of the novel “Eugene Onegin” by A.S. Pushkin (Chapter 1). In A.N. Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm,” Katerina’s backstory is her story to Varvara about life in her parents’ home.

The beginning of the action-- an event or series of events that gives impetus to the main action. It is at the outset of the action that the position of the characters changes dramatically, and contradictions may arise between them. Often the beginning of an action is quite ordinary situations: the arrival or departure of the character, an acquaintance, a meeting, a message about something or a conversation.

It is important to correctly determine the moment at which the main plot action begins. To do this, it is necessary to find an exact answer to the questions: what unbalances the existing system of relationships between the characters, what changes the character’s life, what is the reason for all subsequent events? After all, it is the nature of the plot of the action that often predetermines the features of the further development of the plot. Situations that are standard for the beginning of an action, such as a meeting or arrival of the hero, poorly clarify subsequent events. On the contrary, an argument, a sharp clash between the characters immediately determines the conflictual relationship between them, which, obviously, will be embodied in the plot.

Development of action-- the most extensive and difficult part of the plot to analyze. In the development of the action, conflict is realized, if there is one in the work. If there is no conflict, then the development of the action consists of a chronicle of events, actions, and actions of the characters.

If the plot is based on conflicting relationships, then as the action develops, the tension between the conflicting parties increases. In the process of analysis, it is advisable to trace precisely this aspect of the plot, without trying to identify absolutely all events. In order to correctly determine the boundaries of the development of an action, it is necessary to accurately establish the beginning of the action and the moment at which the action reaches highest voltage. plot climax prologue work

When characterizing the pace of development of an action, one should pay attention to special attention to stops and slowdowns that may occur if the writer uses various kinds of extra-plot components (for example, inserted works, author's digressions). The widespread use of descriptions, introducing stories necessary to introduce new heroes, as well as “confessions” of heroes, dialogues in which their ideological positions are clarified, also slows down the development of action and reduces its pace.

Climax- the highest point in the development of action, in which the conflict reaches its highest severity and tension. After the climax, the action inevitably declines, as the conflict is exhausted. Climax is a turning point in the relationship between the warring parties. As a rule, after the climax, changes in the conflicting parties become inevitable. For example, in A.N. Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm,” the climax is Katerina’s confession of “sin.” This is a turning point in the plot, since after it the heroine’s choice is inevitable: she must either submit to the “dark kingdom” or decide on the only form of protest that is available to her - death. The culmination is often the explanation of the heroes (within love story) or duel.

Resolution of the action -- the final part of the plot, following the climax. At the denouement of the action, it usually becomes clear how the relationship between the warring parties has changed and what consequences the conflict had.

Often, in order to destroy the stereotype of readers’ expectations (“wedding” or “funeral”), writers completely omit the denouement of the action. For example, the absence of a denouement in the plot of the eighth chapter of “Eugene Onegin” makes the ending of the novel “open”. Pushkin, as it were, invites readers to reflect on how Onegin’s fate could have developed, without prejudging the possible development of events. In addition, the character of the main character also remains “unfinished”, capable of further development.

Sometimes the resolution of the action is the subsequent story of one or more characters. It is a narrative device used to communicate how the characters' lives have turned out after the main action has ended.

In some cases plot structure a work can be established by introducing into it so-called inserted episodes, which are usually given in the form of a story by one of the heroes of the work about certain life events, which are not directly related to the action depicted in the work itself. Without directly motivating the development of the action, such episodes have the goal of shedding light on individual plot links, acting as analogies to the depicted action that sharpen its conflicting essence.

There is also a number of supporting plot elements. The first among them should be considered prologue(Greek prylogos - preface) - a narrative, usually short, not directly related to the events that determine the movement of the plot, and giving an idea of ​​​​the previous life of the characters. A prologue was almost obligatory in ancient, medieval and Renaissance drama. Subsequently, it was used relatively rarely (prologue in “Ruslan and Lyudmila” by A. Pushkin). The prologue is always at the beginning of the work.

Closer to the prologue background(tracing paper from German Vorgeschichte). Like the prologue, the backstory gives information about what happened before this plot began to unfold, but the backstory can be located anywhere in the work - in the middle, closer to the end (the story about Chichikov’s youth and his “exploits” in the service of Dead souls"N. Gogol).

Extra-plot elements also include an author’s digression., in which the writer expresses his attitude to any character or problem (the author’s thoughts about the enormous possibilities of the Russian people and about two types of writers in “Dead Souls”). In the same row stands insert novella(Italian novella - news) - short story with an independent plot, at first glance not directly related to what is happening in the work, but in fact helping to comprehend it.

The last of the extra-plot elements is epilogue(from Greek epi - after, logos - word, lit. - afterword). The epilogue contains information about the further fate of the heroes after the resolution of the main conflict of the work. The epilogue, like the prologue, was indicative of ancient Greek drama, but it is sometimes found in the literature of modern times ("Fathers and Sons" by I. Turgenev, "War and Peace" by L. Tolstoy, "The Humiliated and Insulted" by F. Dostoevsky).

The use of the main plot components and extra-plot elements depends primarily on the author's intention, although to a certain extent this is determined by the time in which the writer exists and the literary practice of the era. IN modern literature we will not find any detailed expositions, prologues, or epilogues, and the plot itself is often barely outlined, or even completely absent.

But the existence of a work of art is impossible without a thoughtful organization of its components - compositions. Composition (Latin compositio - connection, composition, connection) - correspondence, interconnection of all parts, episodes, images that make up the work. The composition of a work largely determines the nature and strength of the work’s impact on the reader, listener, and viewer.