Answer to Question #203375 in English for Phumelele

Question

Explain a presentation of the elements on a dramatic curve

Answer 1

A drama is divided into 5 dramatic elements: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and catastrophe/denouement, which form a dramatic curve. The dramatic curve thus represents the progression of dramatic elements as time passes. 

• Exposition: it’s originally called introduction. It’s the insertion of background information within a storyline. Information ranges from the story’s setting, historical context, introduction to backstories of the characters, prior plot events etc.
• Rising action: this is an intriguing event or an inciting force that occurs immediately after the exposition. The event/force builds the rising action in a single or several stages until a point of greatest intrigue. The events in the rising action are a very important part of the narrative because the entire plot depends on them.
• Climax: this is the turning point in the story. It establishes the highest tension and drama in the story and changes the protagonist’s fate in a great way. For example, if the events in a story favor the protagonist, the climax turns against them, often exposing their hidden weaknesses.
• Falling action: here, the hostility of the counterparty beats upon the soul of the hero in the story. Two rules for the falling action are that: the number of scenes where the story’s hero falls should be fewer than in the rising action and the number of characters to be limited as much as possible.
• Catastrophe: this is also called the denouement. It’s where a story’s hero or protagonist meet their logical destruction. A catastrophe entails events from the end of the falling action to the drama’s actual end scene. Conflicts in the story are resolved at this point, establishing normality for the characters and a sense of catharsis for the audience or reader.