The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations
Encyclopedia
The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations is 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.
translation was published in 1916 and continues to be reprinted to this day.
The list is popularized as an aid for writer
s, but it is also used by dramatists, storyteller
s and many others. Other similar lists have since been made.
Georges Polti
Georges Polti was a French writer from the mid-19th century . He is best-known today for his list of thirty-six dramatic situations and for writing Art of Inventing Characters .-External links:* Full text of available at Internet Archive* Full text of available...
to categorize every dramatic situation that might occur in a story or performance. To do this Polti analyzed classical Greek
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
texts, plus classical and contemporaneous French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
works. He also analyzed a handful of non-French authors. In his introduction, Polti claims to be continuing the work of Carlo Gozzi
Carlo Gozzi
Carlo, Count Gozzi was an Italian playwright.Born in Venice, he came from an old Venetian family from the Republic of Ragusa...
, who also identified 36 situations.
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 EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
translation was published in 1916 and continues to be reprinted to this day.
The list is popularized as an aid for writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
s, but it is also used by dramatists, storyteller
Storytelling
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
s 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.- SupplicationSupplicationSupplication is the most common form of prayer, wherein a person asks God to provide something, either for the person or who is doing the praying or for someone else on whose behalf a prayer. This because of a supplication is being made, also known as intercession.The concept of supplication is...
- a Persecutor; a Suppliant; a Power in authorityAuthorityThe word Authority is derived mainly from the Latin word auctoritas, meaning invention, advice, opinion, influence, or command. In English, the word 'authority' can be used to mean power given by the state or by academic knowledge of an area .-Authority in Philosophy:In...
, whose decision is doubtful. - The Persecutor accuses the Suppliant of wrongdoing, and the Power makes a judgment against the Suppliant.
- a Persecutor; a Suppliant; a Power in authority
- Deliverance
- an Unfortunate; a ThreatThreatThreat of force in public international law is a situation between states described by British lawyer Ian Brownlie as:The 1969 Vienna convention on the Law of Treaties notes in its preamble that both the threat and the use of force are prohibited...
ener; a RescueRescueRescue refers to responsive operations that usually involve the saving of life, or prevention of injury during an incident or dangerous situation....
r - The Unfortunate has caused a conflict, and the Threatener is to carry out justice, but the Rescuer saves the Unfortunate.
- an Unfortunate; a Threat
- CrimeCrimeCrime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
pursued by vengeanceRevengeRevenge is a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. It is also called payback, retribution, retaliation or vengeance; it may be characterized, justly or unjustly, as a form of justice.-Function in society:Some societies believe that the...
- a Criminal; an Avenger
- The Criminal commits a crime that will not see justice, so the Avenger seeks justice by punishing the Criminal.
- Vengeance taken for kinKinshipKinship is a relationship between any entities that share a genealogical origin, through either biological, cultural, or historical descent. And descent groups, lineages, etc. are treated in their own subsections....
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.
- Pursuit
- PunishmentPunishmentPunishment is the authoritative imposition of something negative or unpleasant on a person or animal in response to behavior deemed wrong by an individual or group....
; a FugitiveFugitiveA fugitive is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from private slavery, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals... - The Fugitive flees Punishment for a misunderstood conflict.
- Punishment
- DisasterDisasterA disaster is a natural or man-made hazard that has come to fruition, resulting in an event of substantial extent causing significant physical damage or destruction, loss of life, or drastic change to the environment...
- a Vanquished Power; a VictoriousVictoryVictory is successful conclusion of a fight or competition..Victory may refer to:**strategic victory**tactical victory** Pyrrhic victory, a victory at heavy cost to the victorious party**Victory columns**Victory Monuments**Victory personified...
Enemy or a MessengerMessageA message in its most general meaning is an object of communication. It is a vessel which provides information. Yet, it can also be this information. Therefore, its meaning is dependent upon the context in which it is used; the term may apply to both the information and its form... - The Power falls from their place after being defeated by the Victorious Enemy or being informed of such a defeat by the Messenger.
- a Vanquished Power; a Victorious
- Falling prey to cruelty/misfortune
- an Unfortunate; a Master or a Misfortune
- The Unfortunate suffers from Misfortune and/or at the hands of the Master.
- Revolt
- a TyrantTyrantA tyrant was originally one who illegally seized and controlled a governmental power in a polis. Tyrants were a group of individuals who took over many Greek poleis during the uprising of the middle classes in the sixth and seventh centuries BC, ousting the aristocratic governments.Plato and...
; a ConspiratorConspiracy (political)In a political sense, conspiracy refers to a group of persons united in the goal of usurping or overthrowing an established political power. Typically, the final goal is to gain power through a revolutionary coup d'état or through assassination.... - The Tyrant, a cruel power, is plotted against by the Conspirator.
- a Tyrant
- Daring enterpriseEntrepreneurshipEntrepreneurship is the act of being an entrepreneur, which can be defined as "one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods". This may result in new organizations or may be part of revitalizing mature organizations in response...
- a BoldBoldnessBoldness is an opposite of being shy. A bold person may be willing to risk shame or rejection in social situations, and willing to bend rules of etiquette or politeness. An excessively bold person could aggressively ask for money, or persistently push a person to fulfill some request, and so on...
LeaderLeaderA leader is one who influences or leads others.Leader may also refer to:- Newspapers :* Leading article, a piece of writing intended to promote an opinion, also called an editorial* The Leader , published 1909–1967...
; an Object; an Adversary - The Bold Leader takes the Object from the Adversary by overpowering the Adversary.
- a Bold
- AbductionKidnappingIn criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
- an Abductor; the Abducted; a GuardianLegal guardianA legal guardian is a person who has the legal authority to care for the personal and property interests of another person, called a ward. Usually, a person has the status of guardian because the ward is incapable of caring for his or her own interests due to infancy, incapacity, or disability...
- The Abductor takes the Abducted from the Guardian.
- an Abductor; the Abducted; a Guardian
- The enigmaRiddleA riddle is a statement or question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: enigmas, which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that require ingenuity and careful thinking for their solution, and...
- a ProblemProblemA problem is an obstacle, impediment, difficulty or challenge, or any situation that invites resolution; the resolution of which is recognized as a solution or contribution toward a known purpose or goal...
; an Interrogator; a SeekerSeekerSeeker may refer to:Religion* Seeker, a member of the 17th century religious group the Seekers, a forerunner of the Quakers*Seeker, a person perceived by Quakers as likely to become an adherent and thus come to be a "convinced Friend"Fictional characters... - The Interrogator poses a Problem to the Seeker and gives a Seeker better ability to reach the Seeker's goals.
- a Problem
- Obtaining
- (a SolicitorSolicitorSolicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
& an Adversary who is refusing) or (an Arbitrator & Opposing Parties) - 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).
- (a Solicitor
- Enmity of kin
- a Malevolent Kinsman; a HatedHatedHated may refer to:* Hated: GG Allin and the Murder Junkies, a music documentary film* The Hated, an American rock music group...
or a reciprocally-hating Kinsman - The Malevolent Kinsman and the Hated or a second Malevolent Kinsman conspire together.
- a Malevolent Kinsman; a Hated
- 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.
- Murderous adulteryAdulteryAdultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
- two Adulterers; a Betrayed SpouseMarriageMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
- Two Adulterers conspire to kill the Betrayed Spouse.
- two Adulterers; a Betrayed Spouse
- MadnessInsanityInsanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
- a Madman; a Victim
- The Madman goes insane and wrongs the Victim.
- Fatal imprudence
- the Imprudent; a Victim or an Object Lost
- The Imprudent, by neglect or ignorance, loses the Object Lost or wrongs the Victim.
- InvoluntaryInvoluntaryInvoluntary is the antonym of voluntary. An involuntary action is one that occurs without volition or will; see volition and will . Involuntary may also refer to:*Involuntary , a 2008 Swedish film by Ruben Östlund...
crimes of love- a Lover; a Beloved; a Revealer
- The Revealer betrays the trust of either the Lover or the Beloved.
- Slaying of kin unrecognized
- the SlaySlay-Individuals:* Brandon Slay, former American Olympic wrestler* DJ Kay Slay , American hip hop DJ* Dwayne Slay , American football player* Francis G. Slay , mayor of St. Louis, Missouri, United States* Tamar Slay -Individuals:* Brandon Slay, former American Olympic wrestler* DJ Kay Slay (b. 1966),...
er; an Unrecognized Victim - The Slayer kills the Unrecognized Victim.
- the Slay
- Self-sacrifice for an ideal
- a HeroHeroA hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
; an IdealIdeal (ethics)An ideal is a principle or value that one actively pursues as a goal. Ideals are particularly important in ethics, as the order in which one places them tends to determine the degree to which one reveals them as real and sincere. It is the application, in ethics, of a universal...
; a CreditorCreditorA creditor is a party that has a claim to the services of a second party. It is a person or institution to whom money is owed. The first party, in general, has provided some property or service to the second party under the assumption that the second party will return an equivalent property or...
or a PersonPersonA person is a human being, or an entity that has certain capacities or attributes strongly associated with being human , for example in a particular moral or legal context...
/ThingObject (philosophy)An object in philosophy is a technical term often used in contrast to the term subject. Consciousness is a state of cognition that includes the subject, which can never be doubted as only it can be the one who doubts, and some object or objects that may or may not have real existence without...
sacrificed - The Hero sacrifices the Person or Thing for their Ideal, which is then taken by the Creditor.
- a Hero
- Self-sacrifice for kin
- a Hero; a Kinsman; a Creditor or a Person/Thing sacrificed
- The Hero sacrifices a Person or Thing for their Kinsman, which is then taken by the Creditor.
- All sacrificed for passionPassion (emotion)Passion is a term applied to a very strong feeling about a person or thing. Passion is an intense emotion compelling feeling, enthusiasm, or desire for something....
- 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.
- NecessityNecessityIn U.S. criminal law, necessity may be either a possible justification or an exculpation for breaking the law. Defendants seeking to rely on this defense argue that they should not be held liable for their actions as a crime because their conduct was necessary to prevent some greater harm and when...
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.
- Rivalry of superior vs. inferior
- a Superior Rival; an InferiorInferiorInferior means of lower station, rank, degree, or grade . It may also refer to:* Inferiority complex* An anatomical term of location* Inferior angle of the scapula, in the human skeleton...
Rival; the Object of Rivalry - A Superior Rival bests an Inferior Rival and wins the Object of Rivalry.
- a Superior Rival; an Inferior
- AdulteryAdulteryAdultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
- two Adulterers; a Deceived Spouse
- Two Adulterers conspire against the Deceived Spouse.
- Crimes of love
- a Lover; the Beloved
- A Lover and the Beloved enter a conflict.
- Discovery of the dishonour of a loved one
- a Discoverer; the Guilty One
- The Discoverer discovers the wrongdoing committed by the Guilty One.
- Obstacles to love
- two Lovers; an Obstacle
- Two Lovers face an Obstacle together.
- An enemy loved
- a Lover; the Beloved Enemy; the Hater
- The allied Lover and Hater have diametrically opposed attitudes towards the Beloved Enemy.
- AmbitionAmbitionAmbition is the desire for personal achievement. It provides the motivation and determination necessary to achieve a particular end or condition. Ambitious people are characterised by their strong desire for attainment, power, or superiority...
- an Ambitious Person; a Thing Coveted; an Adversary
- The Ambitious Person seeks the Thing Coveted and is opposed by the Adversary.
- ConflictConflict (narrative)In literature, Conflict is the inherent incompatibility between the objectives of two or more characters or forces. By its nature, conflict is unstable. One side must always win out in the end...
with a godGodGod is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
- a Mortal; an ImmortalImmortalityImmortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
- The Mortal and the Immortal enter a conflict.
- a Mortal; an Immortal
- MistakeMistakeA mistake is an error.Mistake may also refer to:*Mistake , or 'Honest mistake' an excuse for non-performance of a contract*Mistake , or mistake of fact, a defense to criminal charges on the grounds of ignorance of a fact...
n jealousy- a JealousJEALOUS"Jealous" is the first single by Dir En Grey and was released on May 10, 1998. The music videos of the title track and the B-side "Unknown･･･Despair･･･a Lost" are featured on the VHS Mousou Toukakugeki. A piano-vocal duet version of "Jealous" was later included on the "[KR] Cube" single...
One; an Object of whose Possession He is Jealous; a Supposed Accomplice; a Cause or an Author of the Mistake - The Jealous One falls victim to the Cause or the Author of the Mistake and becomes jealous of the Object and becomes conflicted with the Supposed Accomplice.
- a Jealous
- ErroneousErroneousErroneous may refer to:* Your Erroneous Zones, a self-help book by Wayne Dyer* Erroneous rendition, in human rights* Erroneous program, a program whose semantics are not well-defined, but where the language implementation is not obligated to signal an error* Erroneous, pseudonym used by bassist...
judgement- a Mistaken One; a Victim of the Mistake; a Cause or Author of the Mistake; the Guilty One
- The Mistaken One falls victim to the Cause of the Author of the Mistake and passes judgment against the Victim of the Mistake when it should be passed against the Guilty One instead.
- RemorseRemorseRemorse is an emotional expression of personal regret felt by a person after he or she has committed an act which they deem to be shameful, hurtful, or violent. Remorse is closely allied to guilt and self-directed resentment...
- a CulpritCulpritA culprit, under English law properly the prisoner at the bar, is one accused of a crime. The term is used, generally, of one guilty of an offence. In origin the word is a combination of two Anglo-French legal words, culpable: guilty, and prit or prest: Old French: ready...
; a Victim or the Sin; an Interrogator - The Culprit wrongs the Victim or commits the Sin, and is at odds with the Interrogator who seeks to understand the situation.
- a Culprit
- Recovery of a lost one
- a SeekerSeekerSeeker may refer to:Religion* Seeker, a member of the 17th century religious group the Seekers, a forerunner of the Quakers*Seeker, a person perceived by Quakers as likely to become an adherent and thus come to be a "convinced Friend"Fictional characters...
; the One Found - The Seeker finds the One Found.
- a Seeker
- LossLossLoss may refer to:*A negative difference between retail price and cost of production**Loss leader a deliberate commercial loss made in the expectation of recouping it by profitable sales of other lines...
of loved ones- a Kinsman SlainSlay-Individuals:* Brandon Slay, former American Olympic wrestler* DJ Kay Slay , American hip hop DJ* Dwayne Slay , American football player* Francis G. Slay , mayor of St. Louis, Missouri, United States* Tamar Slay -Individuals:* Brandon Slay, former American Olympic wrestler* DJ Kay Slay (b. 1966),...
; a Kinsman Spectator; an ExecutionerExecutionerA judicial executioner is a person who carries out a death sentence ordered by the state or other legal authority, which was known in feudal terminology as high justice.-Scope and job:... - The killing of the Kinsman Slain by the Executioner is witnessed by the Kinsman Spectator.
- a Kinsman Slain
External links
- Full text available at Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Full text wiki at Gordian Plot http://gordianplot.com/index.php?title=The_Thirty-Six_Dramatic_Situations
- What are the seven basic literary plots? This edition of The Straight Dope criticizes taxonomic attempts at classifying plots, instead suggesting to simply "focus on what works today."
- 20 Basic Plots from the Tennessee Screenwriting Association
- tvtropes.org a catalog of the tricks of the trade for writing fiction.