09/01/2019 Aristotle's Six Golden Rules Of Screenwriting - ScreenCraft

Aristotle’s Six Golden Rules Of

Screenwriting

It is obviously true that Aristotle was not a screenwriter. He

never sat over a keyboard clicking away with his fingers while
pondering the cinematic screenwriting themes and structure for
the next great tense thriller or tragic drama.

No, he was an ancient Greek philosopher and scientist — known

as one of the greatest intellectual figures of all time. He was an
intellectual master and authority of not only the sciences, but
many of the arts well. He wrote papers and books on biology,
botany, chemistry, ethics, history, logic, metaphysics, rhetoric,
philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, physics, poetics,
political theory, psychology, and zoology.

But what stands out most for screenwriters — and all writers
alike — are his six principles of storytelling.

Note: Past interpretations of his text listed seven principles (the

extra being decor), but upon reviewing it, you’ll quickly discover
that he only lists six.

His book Poetics delves into the analysis of tragedy and epic
storytelling. Those were represented primarily in poetry and the
stage — the storytelling platforms of his time.

Here we adapt and interpret his analysis into ways that writers
can learn from and apply to their own stories.

1. Plot
Aristotle put plot as the first essential element of storytelling,
referring to it as the life and soul of any story. He often referred
to plot as action — the arrangement of incidents. Without action,
there can be no character. Without action, there can be no
implementation of an idea or concept.

“If you string together a set of speeches expressive of a

character, and well finished in point of diction or thought, you
will not produce the essential tragic effect with a play which has
a plot and artistically constructed incidents.”

https://screencraft.org/2017/10/18/aristotles-six-golden-rules-of-screenwriting/ 1/6
09/01/2019 Aristotle's Six Golden Rules Of Screenwriting - ScreenCraft

What Aristotle is saying in that passage — and about the

importance of plot over everything — is that a great character
can not hold the weight of a story. That character must be forced
to take some form of action, be it external or internal, in order for
the story to come alive. And that action is a direct result of the
plot that you, the writer, conjures in the form of conflict thrown
at the character.

He further states that all plots must have a beginning, middle,

and an end. This is likely the root of the three act structure
writers know today.

The beginning of your story often isn’t the result of something

that came before it. The complexities of character (see below)
can surely point to previous moments in that character’s life not
shown, but the beginning of the story is where the actions first
begin to take place. You show the character’s world and then
confront them with some form of conflict that they must take
action on.

The middle of your story is “that which follows something as

some other thing follows it.” That passage is a brilliant
simplification of the second act. Some stories have a call to
adventure while others merely present conflicts that characters
must either act on or suffer the consequences. Regardless, the
second act showcases the character following — or retreating
from — whatever is presented at the end of the first act.

The end of your story is “that which itself naturally follows

some other thing, either by necessity or as a rule, but has nothing
following it.” A simple and obvious definition. But he goes on to
say that the ending is everything — the most important element
of the plot. Without a satisfying ending to your story, the
audience that has invested their time and emotions will be left
unsatisfied. And offering no closure to the characters and their
arcs will leave them wanting more. While that notion is good for
cliffhanger films that are building to a potential sequel, there still
has to be some form of closure that defines the end. Where
audiences can stop, knowing that the end presented “has nothing
following it.”

Aristotle points out bad plotting as being “episodic” where

episodes or acts succeed one another, but without probable or
necessary sequence. He says that bad writers stretch the plot or
story beyond capacity, breaking the natural continuity.

In short, plots shouldn’t be overly complicated. They can be

complex in their themes, but not at the expense of the core plot
and characters.

As a bonus, Aristotle offered three parts of possible plots that

writers can either choose from when plotting out a story or
combine them to create an even better one.

Reversal of Intention is a “change by which action veers round

to its opposite.” This is essentially a turning point in a story. For
example, you look at First Blood where we see John Rambo
trying to reconnect with a fellow soldier from the Vietnam war.

https://screencraft.org/2017/10/18/aristotles-six-golden-rules-of-screenwriting/ 2/6
09/01/2019 Aristotle's Six Golden Rules Of Screenwriting - ScreenCraft

He discovers that his last remaining brother-in-arms has died,

leaving Rambo left standing alone. As he is clearly trying to
move on from the horrors of that war, he is confronted with the
turning point of being wrongfully arrested.

This leads to Rambo having to return to his warrior ways, as

opposed to him trying to move on from them when the story
began.

Recognition is a “change from ignorance to knowledge.” This

change takes place within the character(s) of the story and can
either lead to positive or negative results after the knowledge is
attained. In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo and his fellow hobbits
have never stepped out of the Shire.

https://screencraft.org/2017/10/18/aristotles-six-golden-rules-of-screenwriting/ 3/6
09/01/2019 Aristotle's Six Golden Rules Of Screenwriting - ScreenCraft

When they do, they are confronted by darkness and evil. They
are forced to gain knowledge from those around them in order to
survive.

Frodo in particular is taken on the greatest journey as he

experiences the worst conditions and the worst evil while tasking
himself to destroy the ring once and for all.

The Tragic Incident is a “destructive or painful action.” This is

an event of large causalities, destructiveness, or overall danger
that is ensued. Movies like Titanic, Patriots Day, The Towering
Inferno, Deep Impact, and Independence Day are prime
examples. Such stories can be based on true events — as is the
case with Titanic and Patriots Day — or are fictional events
which we now refer to as Disaster Movies. Characters are forced
to deal with these tragic incidents and their character arcs are
solely embedded within that framework.

https://screencraft.org/2017/10/18/aristotles-six-golden-rules-of-screenwriting/ 4/6
09/01/2019 Aristotle's Six Golden Rules Of Screenwriting - ScreenCraft

2. Character
Aristotle listed character as secondary to plot because “character
determines man’s qualities, but it is by their action that they are
happy or the reverse.” Thus, character comes in as subsidiary to
the actions or plot.

Without a compelling plot, there is no action or reaction that will

create a compelling character.

“Character is that which reveals moral purpose showing what

kinds of things a man chooses or avoids.” Despite being listed as
secondary to plot, characters are crucial to the development of
the story. If readers and audiences aren’t compassionate for the
main characters, the plot won’t matter. And if they’re not meant
to be compassionate for them — which can be the case for
biopics and anti-hero stories — they must still be engaged by the
character. Either by intrigue, curiosity, or the pure entertainment
of seeing a character do what normal humans can’t, won’t, or
shouldn’t.

He also lists four things that should be aimed at in regards to

character. Mind you, upon review of his text, he does list some
dated concepts which point to the inferiority of women and how
female characters should be void of valor as it is “inappropriate.”
Even the greatest minds have their own flaws — even if it was a
sign of the times and culture. Two words — Wonder Woman.

Anyway, his four things to shoot for in character are…

It [the character] must be good. You could argue that not all
main characters can be defined as good, but they must at least
have some good traits for the audience to latch on to. He further
https://screencraft.org/2017/10/18/aristotles-six-golden-rules-of-screenwriting/ 5/6
09/01/2019 Aristotle's Six Golden Rules Of Screenwriting - ScreenCraft

states that “the character will be good if the purpose is

good.” This notion is an excellent way for writers to find the
center of their protagonists. If they are trying to do something
good, that can and should reflect on their actions and reactions.
You can also reverse that for antagonists and villains. If they are
trying to do something bad, that can and should reflect their
actions and reactions as well.

Propriety. Again, his dated feelings towards slaves and women

should be discluded in the context of contemporary times, but the
details or rules of behavior conventionally considered to be
correct should reflect on whatever character that you choose to
write. A police officer should do all he can to abide by the law. A
lawyer should do all she can to adhere to the law and seek out
justice. While this element can be bent and played with, the
contemporary point is that writers should be true to the types of
characters they choose to feature.

True to life. Similar to propriety, characters should be written in

a realistic fashion that audiences can relate to. How many times
have you watched a movie or television show and reacted to a
character moment by saying or thinking, “Come on, no one
would do that.” Exceptions to this rule would clearly be found in
the horror genre where victims make questionable choices as far
as where they go and what they do. Don’t answer the door!

Consistency. He muses that some characters should be

consistently inconsistent, meaning that if you, the writer,
commits to character flaws, those character flaws must be
consistent throughout the story. Unless, of course, the character
eventually gains knowledge to rectify those flaws. Regardless,
characters must be consistent in their personalities, actions, and
reactions in order to create a reliable vessel for the plot.

3. Thought
Aristotle defines Thought as “the faculty of saying what is
possible or pertinent in given circumstances.” This is perhaps the
most difficult element to interpret. Some point to it as theme. He
goes on to say that “thought is found where something is proven
to be or not to be.” One could argue that Steven
Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan questioned the theme of the
glory of war that had been showcased in most World War II
movies before it. His film clearly proved that no, there is no
glory in war — just horror.

https://screencraft.org/2017/10/18/aristotles-six-golden-rules-of-screenwriting/ 6/6