Georges Polti
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations'' is a descriptive list which was first proposed by Georges Polti in 1895 to categorize every dramatic situation that might occur in a story or performance. Polti analyzed classical
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
texts, plus classical and contemporaneous French works. He also analyzed a handful of non-French authors. In his introduction, Polti claims to be continuing the work of Carlo Gozzi, who also identified 36 situations.


Publication history

This list was published in a book of the same name, which contains extended explanations and examples. The original French-language book was written in 1895. An English translation was published in 1916 and continues to be reprinted. The list was popularized as an aid for writers, but is also used by dramatists, storytellers and others. Other similar lists have since been made. It influenced
Christina Stead Christina Stead (17 July 190231 March 1983) was an Australian novelist and short-story writer acclaimed for her satirical wit and penetrating psychological characterisations. Christina Stead was a committed Marxist, although she was never a me ...
and
George Pierce Baker George Pierce Baker (April 4, 1866 – January 6, 1935) was a professor of English at Harvard and Yale and author of ''Dramatic Technique'', a codification of the principles of drama. Biography Baker graduated in the Harvard College class of 188 ...
, the author of ''Dramatic Technique''. The 36 situations have been critiqued as being "concatenations of events rather than minimal or isolable motifs".


The 36 situations

Each situation is stated, then followed by the necessary elements for each situation and a brief description. #
Supplication Supplication (also known as petitioning) is a form of prayer, wherein one party humbly or earnestly asks another party to provide something, either for the party who is doing the supplicating (e.g., "Please spare my life.") or on behalf of someon ...
#* a persecutor; a suppliant; a power in authority, whose decision is doubtful. #* The suppliant appeals to the power in authority for deliverance from the persecutor. The power in authority may be a distinct person or be merely an attribute of the persecutor, e.g. a weapon suspended in their hand. The suppliant may also be two persons, the Persecuted and the Intercessor, an example of which is
Esther Esther is the eponymous heroine of the Book of Esther. In the Achaemenid Empire, the Persian king Ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, Vashti, is deposed for disobeying him. Hadassah, a Jewess who goes by the name of Esther, is chosen ...
interceding to the king on behalf of the Jews for deliverance from the king's chief advisor. # Deliverance #* an unfortunate; a threatener; a rescuer #* The unfortunate has caused a conflict, and the threatener is to carry out justice, but the rescuer saves the unfortunate. ''Examples: Ifigenia in Tauride,
Deliverance ''Deliverance'' is a 1972 American survival thriller film produced and directed by John Boorman, and starring Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, and Ronny Cox, with the latter two making their feature film debuts. The screenplay was adapt ...
;
Superman (1941 film) ''Superman'' (1941) is the first installment in a series of seventeen animated Technicolor short films based upon the DC Comics character Superman. Also known as ''The Mad Scientist'', ''Superman'' was produced by Fleischer Studios and released ...
'' # Crime pursued by vengeance #* a criminal; an avenger #* The criminal commits a crime that will not see justice, so the avenger seeks justice by punishing the criminal. ''Example: The Count of Monte Cristo'' # Vengeance taken for kin upon kin #* Guilty Kinsman; an Avenging Kinsman; remembrance of the Victim, a relative of both. #* Two entities, the Guilty and the Avenging Kinsmen, are put into conflict over wrongdoing to the Victim, who is allied to both. ''Example:
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'' # Pursuit #* punishment; a fugitive #* the fugitive flees punishment for a misunderstood conflict. ''Example:
Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...
, The Fugitive'' # Disaster #* a vanquished power; a victorious enemy ''or'' a messenger #* The vanquished power falls from their place after being defeated by the victorious enemy or being informed of such a defeat by the messenger. ''Example:
Agamemnon (play) The ''Oresteia'' ( grc, Ὀρέστεια) is a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus in the 5th century BCE, concerning the murder of Agamemnon by Clytemnestra, the murder of Clytemnestra by Orestes, the trial of Orestes, the end of t ...
'' # Falling prey to cruelty/misfortune #* an unfortunate; a master ''or'' a misfortune #* The unfortunate suffers from misfortune and/or at the hands of the master. ''Example:
Job (biblical figure) Job ( ; he, אִיּוֹב – ''Īyyōḇ''; gr, Ἰώβ – ''Iṓb'') is the central figure of the Book of Job in the Bible. In rabbinical literature, Job is called one of the prophets of the Gentiles. In Islam, Job ( ar, أيوب, t ...
'' # Revolt #* a tyrant; a conspirator #* The tyrant, a cruel power, is plotted against by the conspirator. ''Example: Julius Caesar (play)'' # Daring enterprise #* a bold leader; an object; an adversary #* The bold leader takes the object from the adversary by overpowering the adversary. ''Example: Queste del Saint Graal;
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's b ...
; Raiders of the Lost Ark'' # Abduction #* an abductor; the abducted; a guardian #* The abductor takes the abducted from the guardian. ''Example: Helen of Troy'' # The enigma #* a problem; an interrogator; a seeker #* The interrogator poses a problem to the seeker and gives a seeker better ability to reach the seeker's goals. ''Example: Oedipus and the
Sphinx A sphinx ( , grc, σφίγξ , Boeotian: , plural sphinxes or sphinges) is a mythical creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of a falcon. In Greek tradition, the sphinx has the head of a woman, the haunches of ...
;
The Batman (film) ''The Batman'' is a 2022 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. Produced by DC Films, 6th & Idaho, and Dylan Clark Productions, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is a reboot of the ''Batman'' film fran ...
'' # Obtaining #* (a Solicitor & an adversary who is refusing) ''or'' (an arbitrator & opposing parties) #* The solicitor is at odds with the adversary who refuses to give the solicitor an object in the possession of the adversary, or an arbitrator decides who gets the object desired by opposing parties (the solicitor and the adversary). ''Example:
Apple of Discord An apple of discord is the core, kernel, or crux of an argument, or a small matter that could lead to a bigger dispute. It is a reference to the Golden Apple of Discord ( grc, ) in the story of the '' Judgement of Paris'' which, according to ...
'' # Enmity of kin #* a
Malevolent Malevolence may refer to: * Evil * Hostility * Malice (law) * Sadism, the experience of feeling pleasure from the pain of others. Other uses * Malevolence (band), an English hardcore punk band from Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South ...
Kinsman; a
Hate Hatred is an intense negative emotional response towards certain people, things or ideas, usually related to opposition or revulsion toward something. Hatred is often associated with intense feelings of anger, contempt, and disgust. Hatred is ...
d ''or'' a reciprocally-hating Kinsman #* The Malevolent Kinsman and the Hated or a second Malevolent Kinsman conspire together. ''Example: As You Like It'' # Rivalry of kin #* the Preferred Kinsman; the
Rejected ''Rejected'' is an animated film directed by Don Hertzfeldt that was released in 2000. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film the following year at the 73rd Academy Awards, and received 27 awards from film festivals ...
Kinsman; the Object of Rivalry #* The Object of Rivalry chooses the Preferred Kinsman over the Rejected Kinsman. ''Example:
Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is an 1847 novel by Emily Brontë, initially published under her pen name Ellis Bell. It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the Lintons, and their turbulent re ...
'' # Murderous
adultery Adultery (from Latin ''adulterium'') is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal ...
#* two Adulterers; a Betrayed Spouse #* Two Adulterers conspire to kill the Betrayed Spouse. ''Example:
Clytemnestra Clytemnestra (; grc-gre, Κλυταιμνήστρα, ''Klytaimnḗstrā'', ), in Greek mythology, was the wife of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, and the twin sister of Helen of Troy. In Aeschylus' '' Oresteia'', she murders Agamemnon – said by E ...
,
Aegisthus Aegisthus (; grc, Αἴγισθος; also transliterated as Aigisthos, ) was a figure in Greek mythology. Aegisthus is known from two primary sources: the first is Homer's '' Odyssey'', believed to have been first written down by Homer at th ...
, Double Indemnity'' # Madness #* a Madman; a Victim #* The Madman goes insane and wrongs the Victim. ''Example:
The Shining (novel) ''The Shining'' is a 1977 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It is King's third published novel and first hardback bestseller; its success firmly established King as a preeminent author in the horror genre. The setting and characters ...
'' # Fatal imprudence #* the Imprudent; a Victim ''or'' an Object Lost #* The Imprudent, by neglect or ignorance, loses the Object Lost or wrongs the Victim. ''Example: Kris Kelvin and his wife in Solaris (1972 film)'' # Involuntary crimes of love #* a Lover; a Beloved; a Revealer #* The Lover and the Beloved have unknowingly broken a taboo through their romantic relationship, and the Revealer reveals this to them. '' Example: Oedipus, Jocasta and the messenger from Corinth. '' # Slaying of kin unrecognized #* the Slayer; an Unrecognized Victim #* The Slayer kills the Unrecognized Victim. ''Example: Oedipus and Laius'' # Self-sacrifice for an ideal #* a
Hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...
; an
Ideal Ideal may refer to: Philosophy * Ideal (ethics), values that one actively pursues as goals * Platonic ideal, a philosophical idea of trueness of form, associated with Plato Mathematics * Ideal (ring theory), special subsets of a ring considere ...
; a Creditor ''or'' a
Person A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...
/
Thing Thing or The Thing may refer to: Philosophy * An object * Broadly, an entity * Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant * Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuse ...
sacrificed #* The Hero sacrifices the Person or Thing for their Ideal, which is then taken by the Creditor. ''Example:
The gospel The gospel or good news is a theological concept in several religions. In the historical Roman imperial cult and today in Christianity, the gospel is a message about salvation by a divine figure, a savior, who has brought peace or other benefit ...
'' #
Self-sacrifice Self-sacrifice is the giving up of something that a person wants for themselves so that others can be helped or protected or so that other external value can be advanced or protected. See also * Altruism (unselfishness) * Altruistic suicide * Sacr ...
for kin #* a Hero; a Kinsman; a Creditor ''or'' a Person/Thing sacrificed #* The Hero sacrifices a Person or Thing for their Kinsman, which is then taken by the Creditor. ''Example:
The gospel The gospel or good news is a theological concept in several religions. In the historical Roman imperial cult and today in Christianity, the gospel is a message about salvation by a divine figure, a savior, who has brought peace or other benefit ...
'' # All sacrificed for passion #* a Lover; an Object of fatal Passion; the Person/Thing sacrificed #* A Lover sacrifices a Person or Thing for the Object of their Passion, which is then lost forever. ''Example: Breaking Bad (2008 television show)'' # Necessity of sacrificing loved ones #* a Hero; a Beloved Victim; the Necessity for the Sacrifice #* The Hero wrongs the Beloved Victim because of the Necessity for their Sacrifice. ''Example:
Binding of Isaac The Binding of Isaac ( he, , ), or simply "The Binding" (, ), is a story from Genesis 22 of the Hebrew Bible. In the biblical narrative, God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on Moriah. As Abraham begins to comply, having bound Isa ...
'' # Rivalry of superior vs. inferior #* a Superior Rival; an Inferior Rival; the Object of Rivalry #* An Inferior Rival bests a Superior Rival and wins the Object of Rivalry. ''Example: Godzilla vs. Kong'' #
Adultery Adultery (from Latin ''adulterium'') is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal ...
#* two Adulterers; a
Deceive Deception or falsehood is an act or statement that misleads, hides the truth, or promotes a belief, concept, or idea that is not true. It is often done for personal gain or advantage. Deception can involve dissimulation, propaganda and sleight ...
d Spouse #* Two Adulterers conspire against the Deceived Spouse. ''
Brothers (2009 film) ''Brothers'' is a 2009 American psychological drama war film directed by Jim Sheridan and written by David Benioff. A remake of the 2004 Danish film, it follows Captain Sam Cahill (portrayed by Tobey Maguire), a presumed-dead prisoner of the Wa ...
'' # Crimes of love #* a Lover; the Beloved #* A Lover and the Beloved break a taboo by initiating a romantic relationship ''Example: Sigmund and his sister in
The Valkyrie ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' # Discovery of the dishonour of a loved one #* a Discoverer; the Guilty One #* The Discoverer discovers the wrongdoing committed by the Guilty One. # Obstacles to love #* two Lovers; an Obstacle #* Two Lovers face an Obstacle together. ''Example: Romeo and Juliet'' # An enemy loved #* a Lover; the Beloved Enemy; the
Hate Hatred is an intense negative emotional response towards certain people, things or ideas, usually related to opposition or revulsion toward something. Hatred is often associated with intense feelings of anger, contempt, and disgust. Hatred is ...
r #* The allied Lover and Hater have diametrically opposed attitudes towards the Beloved Enemy. # Ambition #* an Ambitious Person; a Thing Coveted; an Adversary #* The Ambitious Person seeks the Thing Coveted and is opposed by the Adversary. ''Example: Macbeth'' # Conflict with a
god In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
#* a Mortal; an
Immortal Immortality is the ability to live forever, or eternal life. Immortal or Immortality may also refer to: Film * ''The Immortals'' (1995 film), an American crime film * ''Immortality'', an alternate title for the 1998 British film ''The Wisdom of ...
#* The Mortal and the Immortal enter a conflict. ''Example: Jacob wrestling with the angel'' # Mistaken jealousy #* a
Jealous Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions or safety. Jealousy can consist of one or more emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness or disgust. ...
One; an Object of whose Possession He is Jealous; a Supposed Accomplice; a Cause ''or'' an Author of the Mistake #* The Jealous One falls victim to the Cause or the Author of the Mistake and becomes jealous of the Object and becomes conflicted with the Supposed Accomplice. # Erroneous judgment #* a Mistaken One; a Victim of the Mistake; a Cause ''or'' Author of the Mistake; the Guilty One #* The Mistaken One falls victim to the Cause or the Author of the Mistake and passes judgment against the Victim of the Mistake when it should be passed against the Guilty One instead. #
Remorse Remorse is a distressing emotion experienced by an individual who regrets actions which they have done in the past that they deem to be shameful, hurtful, or wrong. Remorse is closely allied to guilt and self-directed resentment. When a perso ...
#* a
Culprit A culprit, under English law properly the prisoner at the bar, is one accused of a crime. The term is used, generally, of one guilty of an offence. In origin the word is a combination of two Anglo-French legal words, culpable: guilty, and prit or ...
; a Victim ''or'' the Sin; an Interrogator #* The Culprit wrongs the Victim or commits the Sin, and is at odds with the Interrogator who seeks to understand the situation. ''Example:
No Exit ''No Exit'' (french: Huis clos, links=no, ) is a 1944 existentialist French play by Jean-Paul Sartre. The play was first performed at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier in May 1944. The play begins with three characters who find themselves waiting ...
:
The Bourne Supremacy ''The Bourne Supremacy'' is the second Jason Bourne novel written by Robert Ludlum, first published in 1986. It is the sequel to Ludlum's bestseller '' The Bourne Identity'' (1980) and precedes Ludlum's final Bourne novel, '' The Bourne Ultima ...
'' # Recovery of a lost one #* a Seeker; the One Found #* The Seeker finds the One Found. ''Example:
A Very Long Engagement ''A Very Long Engagement'' (french: Un long dimanche de fiançailles, italic=yes, "A long Sunday of engagement") is a 2004 French-American romantic war drama film, co-written and directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and starring Audrey Tautou, Gaspard ...
, Finding Nemo'' #
Loss Loss may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''Loss'' (Bass Communion album) (2006) * ''Loss'' (Mull Historical Society album) (2001) *"Loss", a song by God Is an Astronaut from their self-titled album (2008) * Losses "(Lil Tjay son ...
of loved ones #* a Kinsman Slain; a Kinsman Spectator; an
Executioner An executioner, also known as a hangman or headsman, is an official who executes a sentence of capital punishment on a legally condemned person. Scope and job The executioner was usually presented with a warrant authorising or order ...
#* The killing of the Kinsman Slain by the Executioner is witnessed by the Kinsman. ''Example: Braveheart,
Gladiator (2000 film) ''Gladiator'' is a 2000 epic historical drama film directed by Ridley Scott and written by David Franzoni, John Logan, and William Nicholson. The film was co-produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Universal Pictures. DreamWorks Pictu ...
''


See also

* Aarne–Thompson classification systems *
Morphology (folkloristics) Morphology, broadly, is the study of form or structure. Folkloristic morphology, then, is the study of the structure of folklore and fairy tales. Some pioneering work in this field was begun in the nineteenth century, such as Marian Roalfe Cox's ...
* '' The Golden Bough'' * ''
The Seven Basic Plots ''The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories'' is a 2004 book by Christopher Booker containing a Jung-influenced analysis of stories and their psychological meaning. Booker worked on the book for thirty-four years. Summary The meta-plot The meta ...
'' *
Vladimir Propp Vladimir Yakovlevich Propp (russian: Владимир Яковлевич Пропп; – 22 August 1970) was a Soviet folklorist and scholar who analysed the basic structural elements of Russian folk tales to identify their simplest irredu ...


References


External links


Full text
available at
Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
* Full text available at
Wikisource Wikisource is an online digital library of free-content textual sources on a wiki, operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Wikisource is the name of the project as a whole and the name for each instance of that project (each instance usually re ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations Drama Narratology 1916 books