Freytag’s Pyramid: Definition, Elements and Example

Freytag’s Pyramid is a narrative structure that breaks the story arc of a drama into five distinct sections. Also known as Freytag’s triangle, it is a variation on the five-act structure that storytellers have used for centuries.

The structure of Freytag’s Pyramid borrows from two works of the ancient world; Greek philosopher Aristotle’s Poetics—which noted that a drama had a three-act structure that resembled a triangle—and “Ars Poetica” by the poet Horace, who expanded dramatic structure to five acts. Many myths which detail the “hero’s journey” follow the five-act template, as do the works of playwright William Shakespeare.

German playwright and novelist Gustav Freytag invented Freytag’s Pyramid in Die Technik des Dramas (Technique of the Drama), an overview of five-act plot structure written in the nineteenth century.

In the book, Freytag envisioned the rising and falling action of a drama, or dramatic arc, in a pyramid structure similar to that of Aristotle’s triangle, but with two additional plot elements. The five acts in Freytag’s Pyramid are exposition, rising action, climax, conclusion, and denouement. Screenwriters, novelists, and dramatists today still use Freytag’s Pyramid as a blueprint for crafting a compelling and emotionally satisfying story.

There are five plot elements of Freytag’s Pyramid. They are as follows:

1. 1. Exposition: Also known as the introduction or Act I, exposition sets up the setting, or time and location of the story, as well as the main characters, and the atmosphere of the story. Exposition also informs the reader or viewer about each character’s backstory and how they relate to each other. The most important element of this first act is a suggestion of the story’s primary conflict through an exciting or compelling event, which is also known as the exciting force or inciting incident. In Freytag’s Pyramid, the exposition is the structure’s lowest part on the left.
2. 2. Rising action: In Act II in Freytag’s Pyramid, which he labeled the “rising movement,” the story builds toward its central conflict by placing obstacles in the path of the protagonists as they attempt to reach their goals. The action rises further with the introduction of new characters—the primary antagonist and other adversaries who further complicate matters for the other characters. Rising action is the middle left portion of the pyramid, just above exposition.
3. 3. Climax: The third act in Freytag’s Pyramid is the part of the story that signals a turning point and occupies the highest point on the plot structure. The climax foreshadows the fate of the main character and the series of events that will lead to their success (in a comedy) or downfall (in a tragedy). These series of events, which form the second half of the story are also known as the counterplay, and represent those external factors created by the main character’s choices that impact them in the remainder of the story.
4. 4. Falling action: Act IV in Freytag’s Pyramid foreshadows the final outcome of the story. The conflict between the protagonists and antagonists will soon reach a conclusion, but Freytag also notes that a successful drama will also feature a sense of “final suspense”—a possibility that the conclusion may not end as expected. In Freytag’s Pyramid, falling action is an arc that’s separate from the previous three acts.
5. 5. Denouement. The fifth and final act, the denouement—also known as the resolution, conclusion, or moment of catastrophe—is the end of the story. It’s either a happy ending—the protagonist achieves their goal—or a tragic ending, in which they fail to overcome the primary conflict. Writers tie up loose ends in the denouement and provide audiences with a moment of catharsis—a series of events that allows the tension of the story to dissipate. The lowest right side of the pyramid, just below the falling action arc, is the location of the denouement.

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a textbook example of Freytag’s Pyramid applied to a story structure. The Shakespearean drama breaks down in the following way:

1. 1. Exposition: In the introduction, audiences meet the Montagues and Capulets—the two families from Verona, Italy, at the heart of Romeo and Juliet. They also learn of the long-brewing feud between the two families.
2. 2. Rising action: The star-crossed lovers meet and fall madly in love. Despite the protestations of friends and family, Romeo and Juliet marry, which pushes the action of the story toward its climax.
3. 3. Climax: A pair of murders begins the unraveling of the lovers’ bliss. Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt, kills Mercutio, a friend of Romeo’s. In turn, Romeo kills Tybalt. The crimes force the pair to separate and hatch a desperate plan.
4. 4. Falling action: Juliet plans to fake her own death rather than acquiesce to a marriage that her father has arranged; she drinks a potion that puts her into a death-like state. She also outlines her plan in a letter sent to Romeo.
5. 5. Denouement: The letter fails to reach Romeo before he discovers Juliet’s body. Believing her dead, he drinks poison. Juliet awakens to find Romeo dead, and grief-stricken, takes her own life with a dagger.

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