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The 36 Dramatic Situations

by Michael Kristof | Apr 15, 2004

In 1900, a French literary critic named Georges Polti published an analysis of literary
plots entitled “The 36 Dramatic Situations”.

All situations in any story or drama are supposed to fall into one of these categories.

There may be more than one situation in the plot of a story if it’s long enough.

The list was developed to help writers, but perhaps storytellers will also nd it
interesting. See Polti’s book of the same name for explanations, examples, and
variations. Various other longer categorizations have been made of such situations, and
very comprehensive, extensive lists may be found in the various Motif Indices.

The 36 Dramatic Situations

1. Supplication
The dynamic elements technically necessary are: a Persecutor; a Supplicant; and a
Power in authority, whose decision is doubtful.
2. Deliverance
Elements: an Unfortunate, a Threatener, a Rescuer.
3. Supplication
The dynamic elements technically necessary are: a Persecutor; a Supplicant; and a
Power in authority, whose decision is doubtful.
4. Deliverance
Elements: an Unfortunate, a Threatener, a Rescuer.
5. Crime Pursued by Vengeance
Elements: an Avenger and a Criminal 2
6. Vengeance Taken for Kindred Upon Kindred
Elements: Avenging Kinsman; Guilty Kinsman; Remembrance of the Victim, a Relative of
Both

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7. Pursuit
Elements: Punishment and Fugitive
8. Disaster
Elements: a Vanquished Power; a Victorious Enemy or a Messenger
9. Falling Prey to Cruelty or Misfortune
Elements: an Unfortunate; a Master or a Misfortune
10. Revolt
Elements: Tyrant and Conspiratorv
11. Daring Enterprise
Elements: a Bold Leader; an Object; an Adversary
12. Abduction
Elements: the Abductor; the Abducted; the Guardian
13. The Enigma
Elements: Interrogator, Seeker and Problem
14. Obtaining
Elements: a Solicitor and an Adversary Who is Refusing, or an Arbitrator and Opposing
Parties
15. Enmity of Kinsmen
Elements: a Malevolent Kinsman; a Hatred or Reciprocally Hating Kinsman
16. Rivalry of Kinsmen
Elements: the Preferred Kinsman; the Rejected Kinsman; the Object
17. Murderous Adultery
Elements: Two Adulterers; a Betrayed Husband or Wife
18. Madness
Elements: Madman and Victim
19. Fatal Imprudence
Elements: The Imprudent; the Victim or the Object Lost
20. Involuntary Crimes of Love
Elements: the Lover, the Beloved; the Revealer
21. Slaying of a Kinsman Unrecognized
Elements: the Slayer, the Unrecognized Victim
22. Self-Sacri ce for an Ideal
Elements: the Hero; the Ideal; the ‘Creditor’ or the Person or Thing Sacri ced
23. Self-Sacri ce for Kindred
Elements: the Hero; the Kinsman; the ‘Creditor’ or the Person or Thing Sacri ced
24. All Sacri ced for Passion
2
Elements: the Lover, the Object of the Fatal Passion; the Person or Thing Sacri ced
25. Necessity of Sacri cing Loved Ones
Elements: the Hero; the Beloved Victim; the Necessity for the Sacri ce

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26. Rivalry of Superior and Inferior

Elements: the Superior Rival; the Inferior Rival; the Object
27. Adultery
Elements: a Deceived Husband or Wife; Two Adulterers
28. Crimes of Love
Elements: The Lover, the Beloved
29. Discovery of the Dishonour of a Loved One
Elements: the Discoverer; the Guilty One
30. Obstacles to Love
Elements: Two Lovers, an Obstacle
31. An Enemy Loved
Elements: The Beloved Enemy; the Lover; the Hater
32. Ambition
Elements: an Ambitious Person; a Thing Coveted; an Adversary
33. Con ict With a God
Elements: a Mortal, an Immortal
34. Mistaken Jealousy
Elements: the Jealous One; the Object of Whose Possession He is Jealous; the Supposed
Accomplice; the Cause or the Author of the Mistake
35. Erroneous Judgment
Elements: The Mistaken One; the Victim of the Mistake; the Cause or Author of the
Mistake; the Guilty Person
36. Remorse
Elements: the Culprit; the Victim or the Sin; the Interrogator
37. Recovery of a Lost One
The Seeker; the One Found
38. Loss of Loved Ones
A Kinsman Slain; a Kinsman Spectator; an Executioner

Georges Polti also further subdivided each of the 36 (citing particular plays and novels

that embodied each variant), and included for each an enumeration of the basic
‘elements’ needed for the plot, e.g. for Supplication: “The dynamic elements necessary
are: a Persecutor, a Suppliant and a Power in authority, whose decision is doubtful”

Here’s a very rough re-sorting of Polti’s thirty-six, according to a preliminary reworking

of those elements: 2
person thing: Obtaining
person motive: Victim of misfortune, Disaster, Ambition
person motive motive: Self-sacri ce for an ideal person motive modality: Daring
enterprise, Remorse

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person modality: Enigma, Madness, Fatal imprudence, Faulty judgment

person person: Revolt, Familial hatred, Family rivalry, Con ict with a god, Loss of
loved ones
person person place: Recovery of a lost one
person person place place: Pursuit, Abduction
person person motive: Supplication, Victim of cruelty, Rivalry between superior and
inferior, Crimes of love, Deliverance<
person person modality: Kinsman kills unrecognized kinsman, Obstacles to love,
Mistaken jealousy
person person motive motive: Revenge, All sacri ce for passion, Sacri ce of loved
ones, An enemy loved, Self sacri ce for kindred
person person motive modality: Involuntary crimes of love, Discovery of dishonor
of a loved one
person person person: Adultery, Murderous adultery
person person person person motive motive: Vengeance by family upon family

See also:: The 22 rules of storytelling, according to Pixar

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