ELEMENTS OF A SHAKESPEAREAN TRAGEDY
EXPOSITION Time and place is established Main characters, their positions, circumstances, and relationships to one another are revealed Sets up the mood and conditions Act I Exposition
EXCITING FORCE This is what gets the plot going It begins the conflict which will continue in the play Also called the complication or initial incident Act I Exciting Force
RISING ACTION The series of conflicts which lead up to the climax of the play Acts I, II, and III Rising Action
CLIMAX The turning point of the play Act III Climax
FALLING ACTION The consequences of the turning point occur New conflicts may result Occurs over several acts Acts III, IV, and V Falling Action
CATASTROPHE The play concludes with the hero’s death The hero must die for divine retribution Act V Catastrophe