PLOT

STRUCTURE
MAPPING A STORY
ON THE PLOT
PYRAMID
 PARTS OF A STORY
• PLOT
• CHARACTER - A PERSON IN THE STORY WE LEARN ABOUT THROUGH
THEIR WORDS, THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS
• SETTING - THE PLACE WHERE THE STORY IS SET
• PROBLEM OR CONFLICT - THE STRUGGLE IN THE STORY
• EVENTS - THE THINGS THAT TAKE PLACE IN THE STORY THAT ARE
IMPORTANT AND LEAD TO THE CLIMAX AND THE RESOLUTION (ALSO
KNOWN AS RISING ACTION AND FALLING ACTION)
• CLIMAX - THE MOST INTENSE PART OF THE STORY, PHYSICALLY OR
EMOTIONALLY
• RESOLUTION - THE CONCLUSION, TYING UP ALL THE LOOSE ENDS,
TELLING HOW IT ALL ENDED UP
 WHAT IS PLOT?
PLOT CONCERNS THE ORGANIZATION OF THE
MAIN EVENTS OF A WORK OF FICTION.  MOST
PLOTS WILL TRACE SOME PROCESS OF
CHANGE IN WHICH CHARACTERS ARE CAUGHT
UP IN A CONFLICT THAT IS EVENTUALLY
RESOLVED. 
 PLOT DIAGRAM
Climax

Falling Action
Rising Action
4
Exposition 2
Resolution
1
5
 1. EXPOSITION
THIS USUALLY OCCURS AT THE BEGINNING OF A SHORT STORY.
HERE THE CHARACTERS ARE INTRODUCED. WE ALSO LEARN
ABOUT THE SETTING OF THE STORY. THIS SECTION ALSO PRESENTS
OTHER FACTS NECESSARY TO UNDERSTANDING THE STORY
IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE
EXPOSITION
• SETTING • CHARACTERS
• TIME • PROTAGONIST: THE
• PLACE MAIN CHARACTER; THE
HERO
• ANTAGONIST: THE
CHARACTER WHO IS IN
CONFLICT WITH THE
PROTAGONIST IN SOME
WAY; THE “ BAD GUY”
2. RISING ACTION
THE RISING ACTION INCLUDES ALL THE
EVENTS THAT LEAD TO THE CLIMAX. IT
ALSO PRESENTS SOME TYPE OF CONFLICT.
3. CLIMAX
THE “HIGH POINT”. THIS IS THE TURNING POINT OF
THE STORY. USUALLY THE MAIN CHARACTER
COMES FACE TO FACE WITH A CONFLICT. THE MAIN
CHARACTER WILL CHANGE IN SOME WAY.
4. FALLING ACTION
ALL LOOSE ENDS OF
THE PLOT ARE TIED
UP. THE
CONFLICT(S) AND
CLIMAX ARE TAKEN
CARE OF.
5. RESOLUTION
THE STORY COMES
TO A REASONABLE
ENDING.
 BEGINNING, MIDDLE AND END

• EVERY STORY CAN BE Beginning Middle End

BROKEN UP INTO THREE Characters Events in the Resolution or

Rising Action Conclusion
PARTS: THE BEGINNING, Setting
Climax
THE MIDDLE AND THE END.
Problem or
Conflict Event(s) in the
Falling Action
THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA   
ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS A PRINCE
WHO WANTED TO MARRY A PRINCESS; BUT
SHE WOULD HAVE TO BE A REAL PRINCESS.
HE TRAVELLED ALL OVER THE WORLD TO
FIND ONE, BUT NOWHERE COULD HE GET
WHAT HE WANTED. THERE WERE PRINCESSES
ENOUGH, BUT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO FIND OUT
WHETHER THEY WERE REAL ONES. THERE
WAS ALWAYS SOMETHING ABOUT THEM
THAT WAS NOT AS IT SHOULD BE. SO HE CAME
HOME AGAIN AND WAS SAD, FOR HE WOULD
HAVE LIKED VERY MUCH TO HAVE A REAL
PRINCESS.   
   ONE EVENING A TERRIBLE STORM CAME ON; THERE
WAS THUNDER AND LIGHTNING, AND THE RAIN POURED
DOWN IN TORRENTS. SUDDENLY A KNOCKING WAS
HEARD AT THE CITY GATE, AND THE OLD KING WENT TO
OPEN IT.
 
    IT WAS A PRINCESS STANDING OUT THERE IN FRONT
OF THE GATE. BUT, GOOD GRACIOUS! WHAT A SIGHT THE
RAIN AND THE WIND HAD MADE HER LOOK. THE WATER
RAN DOWN FROM HER HAIR AND CLOTHES; IT RAN
DOWN INTO THE TOES OF HER SHOES AND OUT AGAIN
AT THE HEELS. AND YET SHE SAID THAT SHE WAS A REAL
PRINCESS.
 
   
 "WELL, WE'LL SOON FIND THAT OUT,"
THOUGHT THE OLD QUEEN. BUT SHE SAID
NOTHING, WENT INTO THE BEDROOM, TOOK
ALL THE BEDDING OFF THE BEDSTEAD, AND
LAID A PEA ON THE BOTTOM; THEN SHE
TOOK TWENTY MATTRESSES AND LAID THEM
ON THE PEA, AND THEN TWENTY
EIDERDOWN BEDS ON TOP OF THE
MATTRESSES.
 
  
  ON THIS THE PRINCESS HAD TO LIE ALL
NIGHT. IN THE MORNING SHE WAS ASKED
HOW SHE HAD SLEPT.
 
    "OH, VERY BADLY!" SAID SHE. "I HAVE
SCARCELY CLOSED MY EYES ALL NIGHT.
HEAVEN ONLY KNOWS WHAT WAS IN THE
BED, BUT I WAS LYING ON SOMETHING
HARD, SO THAT I AM BLACK AND BLUE ALL
OVER MY BODY. IT'S HORRIBLE!"
 
   
 NOW THEY KNEW THAT SHE WAS A
REAL PRINCESS BECAUSE SHE HAD FELT
THE PEA RIGHT THROUGH THE TWENTY
MATTRESSES AND THE TWENTY
EIDERDOWN BEDS.
 
    NOBODY BUT A REAL PRINCESS
COULD BE AS SENSITIVE AS THAT.
 
    SO THE PRINCE TOOK HER FOR HIS
WIFE, FOR NOW HE KNEW THAT HE HAD
A REAL PRINCESS; AND THE PEA WAS
PUT IN THE MUSEUM, WHERE IT MAY
STILL BE SEEN, IF NO ONE HAS STOLEN
IT.
 Climax-Middle
Princess couldn’t sleep because of the pea-they
knew she was a real princess

The Queen invited the

princess to sleep on 20
Rising Action mattresses with a pea Falling Action
under the bottom one
The prince and princess marry
A “princess” knocked
on the door in a storm
Prince searched for a
princess, but couldn’t find
one.
End-Resolution
Beginning-Exposition The princess is a real
A prince in a kingdom one. They got married and
who can’t find a real live happily ever after
princess to become
his wife
DESCRIBING PLOT
IN A STORY OR PLAY, THE PLOT IS THE SERIES OF
EPISODES, OR EVENTS, THAT MAKE UP THE STORY.
LIKE A TRAIL OF FOOTPRINTS, THEY LEAD TO THE
RESOLUTION. IN OTHER WORDS, THE PLOT IS WHAT
HAPPENS FROM BEGINNING OF THE STORY TO THE
END. THESE EPISODES ARE MOMENTS IN THE STORY
THAT ARE DRIVEN BY CONFLICT, OR STRUGGLE, THAT
THE MAIN CHARACTER TRIES TO OVERCOME.
TEST YOUR PLOT
KNOWLEDGE!
• THE 3 LITTLE PIGS
• WE WILL NOW WATCH A SHORT VERSION OF THE
STORY TO REFRESH YOUR MEMORY. AFTER YOU WILL
NEED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PLOT,
CHARACTERS, AND SETTING.
• HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=G5HI9U19-M
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 The 3 Little Pigs
Climax-Middle

Rising Action Falling Action

Beginning-Exposition End-Resolution