the thirty-six dramatic situations

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The Thirty-Six Dramatic SituationsFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situationsis a descriptive list which was created by Georges Polti to categorize

every dramatic situation that might occur in a story or performance. To do this Polti analyzed classical

Greek texts, plus classical and contemporaneous French works. He also analyzed a handful of non-French

authors. In his introduction, Polti claims to be continuing the work of Carlo Gozzi, who also identified 36

situations.

Contents

1 Publication history

2 The 36 situations

3 See also

4 References5 External links

Publication history

This list was published in a book of the same name,

which contains extended explanations and examples.

The original French-language book was written in the

19th century. An English translation was published in1916 and continues to be reprinted to this day.

The list is popularized as an aid for writers, but it is

also used by dramatists, storytellers and many others.

Other similar lists have since been made.

The 36 situations

Each situation is stated, then followed by the necessary elements for each situation and a brief description.

1. Supplication

a Persecutor a Suppliant a power in authority, whose decision is doubtful.

the persecutor accuses the suppliant of wrongdoing, and the power makes a judgment against

the suppliant.Example: The Trial

2. Deliverance

an unfortunate a threatener a rescuer

the unfortunate has caused a conflict, and the threatener is to carry out justice, but the rescuer

Gozzi maintained that there can be but thirty-sixtragic situations. Schiller took great pains to find

more, but he was unable to find even so many asGozzi.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trialhttp://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/supplianthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supplicationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storytellinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlo_Gozzihttp://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/supplianthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storytellinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Poltihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Wolfgang_von_Goethehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supplicationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greecehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trial


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saves the unfortunate.Example: Ifigenia in Tauride

3. Crime pursued by vengeance

a criminal an avenger

the criminal commits a crime that will not see justice, so the avenger seeks justice by punishin

the criminal.Example: The Count of Monte Cristo

4. Vengeance taken for kin upon kin

Guilty Kinsman an Avenging Kinsman remembrance of the Victim, a relative of both.

Two entities, the Guilty and the Avenging Kinsmen, are put into conflict over wrongdoing to

the Victim, who is allied to both.Example: Hamlet

5. Pursuit

punishment a fugitive

the fugitive flees punishment for a misunderstood conflict.Example: Les Misrables

6. Disaster

a vanquished power a victorious enemy ora messengerthe power falls from their place after being defeated by the victorious enemy or being informe

of such a defeat by the messenger.Example: Agamemnon (play)

7. Falling prey to cruelty/misfortune

an unfortunate a master ora misfortune

the unfortunate suffers from misfortune and/or at the hands of the master.Example: Job

(biblical figure)

8. Revolt

a tyrant a conspirator

the tyrant, a cruel power, is plotted against by the conspirator.Example: Julius Caesar (play)

9. Daring enterprise

a bold leader an object an adversary

the bold leader takes the object from the adversary by overpowering the adversary.Example:

Queste del Saint Graal

10. Abduction

an abductor the abducted a guardian

the abductor takes the abducted from the guardian.Example: Helen of Troy

11. The enigma

a problem an interrogator a seeker

the interrogator poses a problem to the seeker and gives a seeker better ability to reach the

seeker's goals.Example: Oedipus and the Sphinx

12. Obtaining

(a Solicitor & an adversary who is refusing) or(an arbitrator & opposing parties)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Caesar_(play)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solicitorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_of_Troyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphinxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidnappinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ifigenia_in_Tauridehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agamemnon_(play)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Mis%C3%A9rableshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Job_(biblical_figure)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamlethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queste_del_Saint_Graalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Count_of_Monte_Cristohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Message


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the solicitor is at odds with the adversary who refuses to give the solicitor what they object in

the possession of the adversary, or an arbitrator decides who gets the object desired by

opposing parties (the solicitor and the adversary).Example: Apple of Discord

13. Enmity of kin

a Malevolent Kinsman a Hated ora reciprocally-hating Kinsman

The Malevolent Kinsman and the Hated or a second Malevolent Kinsman conspire together.

14. Rivalry of kin

the Preferred Kinsman the Rejected Kinsman the Object of Rivalry

The Object of Rivalry chooses the Preferred Kinsman over the Rejected Kinsman.

15. Murderous adultery

two Adulterers a Betrayed Spouse

Two Adulterers conspire to kill the Betrayed Spouse.Example: Clytemnestra and Aegisthus

16. Madness

a Madman a VictimThe Madman goes insane and wrongs the Victim.

17. Fatalimprudence

the Imprudent a Victim oran Object Lost

The Imprudent, by neglect or ignorance, loses the Object Lost or wrongs the Victim.

18. Involuntarycrimes of love

a Lover a Beloved a Revealer

The Revealer betrays the trust of either the Lover or the Beloved.

19. Slaying of kin unrecognized

the Slayer an Unrecognized Victim

The Slayer kills the Unrecognized Victim.

20. Self-sacrifice for an ideal

a Hero an Ideal a Creditor ora Person/Thing sacrificed

The Hero sacrifices the Person or Thing for their Ideal, which is then taken by the Creditor.

21. Self-sacrifice'for kin'

a Hero a Kinsman a Creditor ora Person/Thing sacrificed

The Hero sacrifices a Person or Thing for their Kinsman, which is then taken by the Creditor.

22. All sacrificed for passion

a Lover an Object of fatal Passion the Person/Thing sacrificed

A Lover sacrifices a Person or Thing for the Object of their Passion, which is then lost forever

23. Necessity'of sacrificing loved ones'

a Hero a Beloved Victim the Necessity for the Sacrifice

The Hero wrongs the Beloved Victim because of the Necessity for their Sacrifice.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/malevolenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adulteryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aegisthushttp://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rejectionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personhttp://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/revealhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_(philosophy)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necessityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clytemnestrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-sacrificehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passion_(emotion)http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fatalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insanityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creditorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object_(philosophy)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideal_(ethics)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_of_Discord


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24. Rivalry of superior vs. inferior

a Superior Rival an Inferior Rival the Object of Rivalry

A Superior Rival bests an Inferior Rival and wins the Object of Rivalry.

25. Adultery

two Adulterers a Deceived Spouse

Two Adulterers conspire against the Deceived Spouse.

26. Crimes of love

a Lover the Beloved

A Lover and the Beloved enter a conflict.

27. Discovery of the dishonour of a loved one

a Discoverer the Guilty One

The Discoverer discovers the wrongdoing committed by the Guilty One.

28. Obstacles to love

two Lovers an ObstacleTwo Lovers face an Obstacle together.

29. An enemy loved

a Lover the Beloved Enemy the Hater

The allied Lover and Hater have diametrically opposed attitudes towards the Beloved Enemy.

30. Ambition

an Ambitious Person a Thing Coveted an Adversary

The Ambitious Person seeks the Thing Coveted and is opposed by the Adversary.

31. Conflictwith a god

a Mortal an Immortal

The Mortal and the Immortal enter a conflict.

32. Mistakenjealousy

a Jealous One an Object of whose Possession He is Jealous a Supposed Accomplice a Cause

oran Author of the Mistake

The Jealous One falls victim to the Cause or the Author of the Mistake and becomes jealous o

the Object and becomes conflicted with the Supposed Accomplice.

33. Erroneousjudgment

a Mistaken One a Victim of the Mistake a Cause orAuthor of the Mistake the Guilty One

The Mistaken One falls victim to the Cause or the Author of the Mistake and passes judgment

against the Victim of the Mistake when it should be passed against the Guilty One instead.

34. Remorse

a Culprit a Victim orthe Sin an Interrogator

The Culprit wrongs the Victim or commits the Sin, and is at odds with the Interrogator who
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/inferiorityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflict_(narrative)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Errorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adulteryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jealoushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remorsehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culprithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Errorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortalityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dishonourhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deceivehttp://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ambition


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seeks to understand the situation.

35. Recovery of a lost one

a Seeker the One Found

The Seeker finds the One Found.

36. Lossof loved ones

a Kinsman Slain a Kinsman Spectator an Executioner

The killing of the Kinsman Slain by the Executioner is witnessed by the Kinsman Spectator.

See also

Morphology (folkloristics)

The Seven Basic Plots

References

1. ^ Polti, Georges (1921) [1916]. The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations

(http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Index:The_thirty-six_dramatic_situations_(1921).djvu). Franklin, Ohio: James

Knapp Reeve. p. 3.

External links

Full text (https://archive.org/details/thirtysixdramati00polt) available at Internet Archive

Full text available at WikisourceWhat are the seven basic literary plots? (http://www.straightdope.com/columns/001124.html) This

edition of The Straight Dopecriticizes taxonomic attempts at classifying plots, instead suggesting to

simply "focus on what works today."

20 Basic Plots (http://www.tennscreen.com/plots.htm) from the Tennessee Screenwriting Associatio

tvtropes.org (http://tvtropes.org) a catalog of the tricks of the trade for writing fiction.

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Categories: Drama Narratology 1916 books

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