1. Plot Stages and Conflict

2. Plot: How Stories Happen
What is plot?
The structure
of a story; what happens
The structure of a story. The sequence in which the author arranges events in a story. The structure of a five-act play often includes the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the resolution. The plot may have a protagonist who is opposed by antagonist, creating what is called, conflict.

3. Parts of Plot Climax Rising Action Falling Action Exposition
Resolution

4. What is Exposition? Beginning of story
Introduces characters, setting, and tone
In drama, the presentation of essential information regarding what has occurred prior to the beginning of the play.
The exposition is the introductory material which presents the characters, setting, and tone of the play.

5. What is Rising Action? Plot becomes increasingly complicated
Various problems arise

6. The high point of a story
What is Climax?
The high point of a story
The decisive moment in a drama, the climax is the turning point of the play to which the rising action leads.
The action reaches a high point and results in a climax, the turning point in the play.

7. What is Falling Action? Action following the climax Leads to the end
The falling action is the series of events which take place after the climax.

8. What is Resolution? Problems are solved Action comes to an end
The part of a story or drama which occurs after the climax and which establishes a new norm, a new state of affairs-the way things are going to be from then on.

9. A struggle between opposing forces in a story
What is Conflict?
A struggle between opposing forces in a story
In the plot of a drama, conflict occurs when the protagonist is opposed by some person or force in the play.
A conflict often develops between the protagonist and an antagonist.
Conflict: A problem or struggle between two opposing forces in a story. Here are the four basic conflicts: •person against person—a problem between characters •person against self—a problem within a character’s own mind •person against society—a problem between a character and society, school, the law, or some tradition •person against nature—a problem between a character and some element of nature—a blizzard, a hurricane, a mountain climb, etc.

10. What is Conflict? Person against person Person against self
Person against society
Person against nature
In the plot of a drama, conflict occurs when the protagonist is opposed by some person or force in the play.
A conflict often develops between the protagonist and an antagonist.
Conflict: A problem or struggle between two opposing forces in a story. Here are the four basic conflicts: •person against person—a problem between characters •person against self—a problem within a character’s own mind •person against society—a problem between a character and society, school, the law, or some tradition •person against nature—a problem between a character and some element of nature—a blizzard, a hurricane, a mountain climb, etc.

11. Literary Conflict

12. Conflict
In a story, conflict is the struggle between opposing forces.

13. Protagonist
The main character

14. The character in conflict with the main character
Antagonist
The character in conflict with the main character

15. External Conflict takes place outside of the body

16. There are three types of external conflict

17. The struggle is between two or more characters in the story.
Man vs. Man
The struggle is between two or more characters in the story.

18. External
Man vs. Nature
This type of conflict pits a story's main character or characters against a natural force such as a flood, predatory animal, or disease epidemic.

19. Man Against Society External
In many stories, the protagonist battles against element of government or culture.

20. Internal Conflict takes place inside of the body/mind.

21. There is one type of internal conflict.

22. Man vs. Self
The struggle or opposition is within one character-- making a tough decision, for example. A character struggling to overcome fear, addiction, emotional damage or other crippling personal issue.

23. Internal
Man vs. Self
Some literary conflicts take the form of a character struggling to overcome fear, addiction, emotional damage or other crippling personal issue.

24. Practice
Decide what type of conflict is being illustrated in the following pictures

25. 1. Man vs. ?

26. 2. Man vs. ?

27. 3. Man vs. ?

28. 4. Man vs.

29. 5. Man vs. ?

30. 6. Man vs. ?

31. 7. Man vs. ?

32. Now that you have mastered pictures, let’s try some text!
Practice
Now that you have mastered pictures, let’s try some text!

33. 8. Man vs. ?
“If she had only proceeded more slowly. If she had only taken the Southerly route, avoiding the icebergs. If only the watch had had a pair of binoculars.” (news story about the Titanic)

34. 9. Man vs. ?
Charles decided to break all the rules the day he decided to steal that car. He was immediately arrested and sent to jail to await his trial. He should have known better than to mess with the “rules.”

35. 10. Man vs. ?
“I don’t care who you talk to!” screamed Sarah to West. “I just wish I had never met you!”

36. 11. Man vs. ?
After the light in the cave was completely gone Tom began to stumble through the cave blindly cutting his hands on what appeared to be sharp rocks.

37. 12. Man vs. ?
Tom found a dry spot to sit down in the dark and began to feel guilty over an argument he had had earlier in the day with his mother in which he had said, “I hope I never see you again!”

38. 13. Man vs. ?
Tom’s mother was upset that he wanted to skip going to college in order to go exploring in all of the world’s greatest caves before he turned thirty. Tom didn’t understand what the big deal was and wanted to run his own life.