By: Gabby Perlewitz

Adapted from Mrs. Barth’s lecture on Freytag’s Pyramid.

Gustav Freytag developed this idea.Gustav Freytag developed this idea.

Freytag’s Pyramid maps out the general Freytag’s Pyramid maps out the general

plot structure of a story. plot structure of a story.

Gustav was a Nineteenth Century German Gustav was a Nineteenth Century German

novelist who saw common patterns in the novelist who saw common patterns in the

plots of stories and novels and developed plots of stories and novels and developed

a diagram to analyze them.a diagram to analyze them.

Stories can start and stop in any place on Stories can start and stop in any place on

Freytag’s Pyramid. Freytag’s Pyramid. Not every story has all five parts- Example: story Not every story has all five parts- Example: story

could start right in the middle of the action, so it could start right in the middle of the action, so it

doesn’t have Exposition, but rather begins with doesn’t have Exposition, but rather begins with

the Rising Action. the Rising Action. A story could also cut out right after the Climax, A story could also cut out right after the Climax,

meaning it has no Falling Action or Resolution. meaning it has no Falling Action or Resolution. The reader has to fill in the gaps using his/her The reader has to fill in the gaps using his/her

imagination.imagination.

This is the series of events, conflicts, This is the series of events, conflicts,

and crises in the story that lead up to and crises in the story that lead up to

the climax.the climax.

Rising action provides the progressive Rising action provides the progressive

intensity.intensity.

Rising action also complicates the Rising action also complicates the

conflict.conflict.

The turning point of the story. The turning point of the story. A crucial event takes place and from A crucial event takes place and from

this point forward.this point forward. The protagonist moves toward his/her The protagonist moves toward his/her

inevitable end. inevitable end. The event may be either an action or a The event may be either an action or a

mental decision that the protagonist mental decision that the protagonist

makes.makes.

The events occurring from the time The events occurring from the time

of the climax to the end of the story. of the climax to the end of the story.

The main character may encounter The main character may encounter

more conflicts in this part of the more conflicts in this part of the

story. story.

Even if they do encounter more Even if they do encounter more

conflicts, the end is inevitable.conflicts, the end is inevitable.

The includes the “Denouement”.The includes the “Denouement”.

Resolution is the tying up of loose ends and all of the Resolution is the tying up of loose ends and all of the

threads in the story. It’s the conclusion. threads in the story. It’s the conclusion.

The protagonist either emerges triumphant or is The protagonist either emerges triumphant or is

defeated at this point. defeated at this point.

The Denouement- opposite of Exposition: instead of The Denouement- opposite of Exposition: instead of

getting ready to tell us the story by introducing the getting ready to tell us the story by introducing the

setting and characters, the author is getting ready to setting and characters, the author is getting ready to

end it with a final explanation of what actually end it with a final explanation of what actually

happened and how the characters think or feel about it.happened and how the characters think or feel about it.