Understanding Story Structure with Freytag's Pyramid

Freytag's Pyramid is a graphical representation of the dramatic structure of a story. It was developed by German playwright and critic Gustav Freytag in the late 19th century. The pyramid consists of five stages, which are:

1. Exposition: This is the beginning of the story where the setting, characters, and situation are introduced.
2. Rising Action: This stage builds on the exposition and introduces conflicts, challenges, and obstacles that the characters must overcome.
3. Climax: This is the turning point of the story where the conflict reaches its peak and the outcome is decided.
4. Falling Action: This stage follows the climax and shows how the characters deal with the aftermath of the climax.
5. Resolution: This is the final stage where the conflicts are resolved, and the story comes to a satisfying conclusion.

Freytag's Pyramid is a useful tool for understanding the structure of stories and can be applied to a wide range of narratives, from novels and plays to films and television shows.