Plotting with the Freytag Pyramid .....................................................

Lecture 10

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that the events of the plot should be causally connected and self-contained;
and that the ending of the plot—particularly the plot of a tragedy—should
provide both closure and catharsis. More commonly referenced today than
Aristotle is Freytag’s pyramid, a diagram of dramatic structure based on
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version of 7KH:L]DUGRI2] as an example.

The Wizard of Oz and Freytag’s Pyramid

z According to Freytag’s pyramid, the exposition stage of a story sets the
scene and introduces the characters. In 7KH:L]DUGRI2], the exposition
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We meet all the major characters; Dorothy runs away with Toto and
meets Professor Marvel; and on her way back to the farm, Dorothy is
overtaken by the storm.

Climax

Denouement

Resolution

Falling Action

Rising Action

Inciting Incident

Exposition