Every story has a plot. It is the fundamental element of all narrative writing, be it fiction or nonfiction. The plot gives the narrative structure and makes it coherent and meaningful. Thus, being able to recognize, break down, and evaluate the elements of the plot in a text goes a long way toward a better and deeper understanding of it. 

Plot vs. Story

Very often the words plot and story are used interchangeably. However, they are not the same. E.M. Forster lucidly demonstrated the difference between the two: “The king died and then the queen died is a story, while The king died and then the queen died of grief is a plot.” 

A story can simply be a collection of events that stand out but don’t always have an impact on each other. A plot, on the other hand, establishes a definite relationship between the events. It captures the flow of action from one event to the other and their effects and consequences.

Plot Structure

While the creative nature of fiction writing allows writers to dream up any number of ways in which to arrange a plotline, one particular structure identified very early on proves to be one of the most convenient yet engaging methods to structure plots.

The earliest version of this breakdown of plots first appeared in Aristotle’s Poetics and is based on his observations of the plays written at the time. Each plot is divided into three sections or acts: Beginning, Middle, and End. The Beginning sets up the plot; the Middle contains the conflict and tension; the End brings resolution.

Freytag’s Pyramid

Years later, 19th century German playwright Gustav Freytag devised a more exhaustive structure based on his observations of Shakespeare’s plays. The common structure he proposed has come to be known as Freytag’s Pyramid and is a widely recognized method of developing plots. Its seven elements are as follows:

• Exposition: The opening introduces the characters, setting, and situation to the audience/readers. 
• Inciting Incident: This is the single event that sparks conflict or sets the ball rolling toward it, setting in motion the plot’s action.
• Rising Action: Events and the resulting action mount higher and higher, building emotion and excitement in the audience/readers.
• Climax: This is the peak of the plot’s action. It is the moment of greatest tension in the plot. It changes everything for the characters in the story. 
• Falling Action: Following the climax, the action in the plot slows down or at least begins to wind down to the end.
• Resolution: The defining conflict of the plot is resolved.
• Denouement: The remaining loose ends, if any, are all tied up at this point. All the characters’ stories are brought to an end. If the writer chooses to, they can give their readers a glimpse into the characters’ future lives as well. This section is sometimes done away with, especially in short stories.

Freytag’s pyramid is abundantly present in media around the world. It can be easily discerned in most stories today. Of course, there do exist creative iterations of the same structure, such as in the movies Memento and The Usual Suspects.

Recognizing Common Plot Types

As varied as plots and stories can be, certain common patterns can be recognized in them. Traditionally, the main categories have been comedy and tragedy, based on the endings – stories that ended happily are referred to as comedies, while those dealing with the lead character’s flaws and end unhappily are regarded as tragedies.

Over the years, several more methods of categorizing plots have been developed. One of the most widely known is the categorization developed by Christopher Booker in The Seven Basic Plots. 

• Overcoming the Monster: The protagonist defeats an evil force (antagonist) to save themself and/or the people they love. 

For instance, Beowulf, Hansel and Gretel, and the Star Wars movies.

• The Rags to Riches: The protagonist goes from being poor to attaining a considerable amount of wealth. A story with this plot type could also begin with an already rich protagonist who proceeds to lose all their fortune and then recovers it. In either case, the wealth received at the end is accompanied by personal learning and development.

For instance, Cinderella, David Copperfield, and Slumdog Millionaire.

• The Comedy: The protagonist is a sunny, bright character who undergoes several challenges to emerge triumphant from them. Comedy doesn’t exactly translate to “humorous.”  However, a lot of stories that come under this category feature misadventures rather than just painful or highly dramatic and draining challenges. 

For instance, Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, and Pride and Prejudice.

• The Tragedy: The protagonist is essentially a hero, a good person, but with discernible flaws which eventually leads to their downfall (often an untimely death). 

For instance, Macbeth, Hamlet, and The Great Gatsby.

• The Voyage and Return: The protagonist ventures out into an unknown territory filled with dangers and threats and survives these to return home alive but changed.

For instance, The Odyssey, Alice in Wonderland, and The Wizard of Oz.

• The Rebirth: An unlikeable or evil protagonist faces a situation that forces them to reconsider themselves or certain aspects of their character, and they emerge from it as transformed (often better) individuals.

For instance, A Christmas Carol, Beauty and the Beast, and The Handmaid’s Tale.

• The Quest: The protagonist sets out in search of something – treasure, the solution to a problem – or to reach a particular destination and gets involved in several adventures along the way. Oftentimes, the protagonist has embarked on this quest unwillingly and/or is accompanied by others.

For instance, The Iliad, The Lord of the Rings, and Finding Nemo.

However, some critics and commentators have pointed out that most of these are variations of one another or boil down to a combination of elements from two or more of the other types. 

Tips to Analyze Plots

Once a plot has been selected for analysis, the text should be read carefully (multiple times, if needed), keeping in mind the following points:

• Consider the context of the story.
  • Where is it set and in what time period? 
  • Were any historical events taking place at this location at the time? 
  • If so, what is their impact on the plot and/or the characters?
• Break the structure of the plot down into its individual elements (according to Freytag’s pyramid), and discuss how each element is executed and how the elements contribute to one another to produce an effect on the audience. 
• The characters in the story ought to be studied as well. Often, characters are themselves the driving forces of the plot’s action. Including a brief analysis of the characterizations helps in a better evaluation and analysis of the plot itself.
• Discuss the story’s theme and style. 
  • What is the theme and how has it been conveyed through the plot? 
  • If there are multiple themes, how are they connected and how have they been juggled? 
  • How effective is the style and symbolism chosen by the author in driving home their point?
• Sometimes, a plot immediately fits into a particular category; however, at other times, it is not so obvious. Considering the plot type(s) the story follows presents an interesting angle for its analysis and evaluation. 
  • Is the plot a classic example of the type or does it innovate with the model? 
  • If it includes elements from multiple different plot types, how does it make them all work together?

Being aware of the mechanics of plotting and established plot patterns is essential for analysis. For those with a bent toward such matters, an understanding of these elements can also greatly enhance the enjoyment they derive from a book, play, short story, or movie.