Considering factors such as point of view and characters contributes to readers’ understanding of the plot. The plot is made up of all the main events of a story in order. There are many types of plots, but within the European tradition, each type will typically include the following pattern:

This diagram is known as “Freytag’s pyramid” after the 19th-century German novelist and playwright Gustav Freytag.

• Exposition is the introductory stage of the plot, which typically doesn’t include much conflict or tension. Readers situate themselves in the setting, identify the story’s point of view, and get to know the characters.
• Rising Action is the stage in which tension starts to build. A conflict is introduced, and it continues to escalate until the next stage.
• Climax is when the tension reaches its highest point and the conflict comes to a head. This is the turning point of the plot.
• Falling Action is the stage in which the conflict is in the process of becoming resolved and tension decreases.
• Resolution or Denouement (French for “unknotting”) is when the conflict is over and the characters begin to live out their lives in the wake of the resolved tension.

In an imaginary episode of SpongeBob Squarepants, for example, the five stages might look like:

• Exposition: SpongeBob’s typical day is in progress. Perhaps he is preparing food at the restaurant where he is a fry cook, the Krusty Krab.
• Rising Action: SpongeBob reaches for his spatula, but cannot seem to find it! Tension builds as he frantically searches the kitchen, tossing items around and making quite a mess of the area and of himself. To make matters worse, SpongeBob learns that there is a surprise inspection taking place in a few moments.
• Climax: SpongeBob quickly cleans up before the inspectors arrive, but he still cannot find his spatula. When the inspectors request a sample meal, SpongeBob looks for an alternative utensil to replace his spatula. He runs to his boss Mr. Krabs for some help, when he finally sees it on the desk: his spatula!
• Falling Action: SpongeBob returns to the kitchen and prepares a wonderful meal for the inspectors. He gets a five-star rating, and the inspectors head out with full bellies.
• Resolution: When Mr. Krabs comes to the kitchen to congratulate SpongeBob on the rating, SpongeBob asks why he took the spatula. It turns out that Mr. Krabs borrowed it because he had a terrible itch, but he did not want to pay for a backscratcher. They both laugh it off and return to their stations, and the episode ends.

Beginnings and Endings

Another way to identify key elements of the plot is to consider the contrast between the beginning (exposition) and the ending (resolution). Particularly, take a look at the protagonist’s circumstances. By the end of the story, how is the protagonist doing? Did things go from better to worse? Worse to better?

The masks of comedy and tragedy have become a symbol for theater as a whole.

Stories that involve the protagonist’s circumstances improving typically fall under the category of comedy. In this context, “comedy” does not necessarily refer to something that is supposed to make you laugh; it could be a funny story, but it doesn’t have to be. Instead, this use of “comedy” simply means that something improved in the main character’s life by the end of the story. To be clear, elements of the plot might still be upsetting, but the overall trajectory of the protagonist’s life will be positive. Examples of comedies in literature include A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Pride and Prejudice.

By contrast, stories that end in worsening circumstances in the protagonist’s life tend to belong to the category of tragedy. Tragic plots usually involve a rather serious downfall or death, and the main character ends up in a worse place than where she started. Some elements of a tragic plot might improve, but the overall trajectory of the protagonist’s life will be negative. Examples of tragedies in literature include Romeo and Juliet, The Great Gatsby, and Of Mice and Men.

In this 1761 painting by the English painter Joshua Reynolds, the actor and playwright David Garrick is caught between the Muses of Tragedy and Comedy.

Tragedies may raise a question about the five steps of plot that we covered earlier: If the ending is unhappy, is the issue resolved? It’s important to remember that the line in the diagram represents the rise and fall of tension brought on by a conflict. This means that even if the story does not have a happy ending, the tension is still likely to decrease after the height of the conflict, or the Climax stage. In other words, even if the conflict ended badly, the tension will eventually fall regardless.

Consider the death of a novel’s hero, for example. While the death is tragic and unfortunate, the Resolution stage could be marked by the world moving on after the loss. It can certainly be sad, but this stage will not feature as much suspense, action, and uncertainty as the Climax did. Therefore, the tension has fallen, and the conflict has ended.