The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations is a descriptive list which was created by
Georges Polti to categorize every dramatic situation that might occur in a
story or performance. To do this Polti analyzed classical Greek 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 the 19th century. An English translation was
published in 1916 and continues to be reprinted to this day.
The list is popularized as an aid for writers, but it is also used by
dramatists, storytellers and many others. Other similar lists have since
been made. The 36 situations
Each situation is stated, then followed by the necessary elements for each
situation and a brief description. Supplication
a Persecutor; a Suppliant; a power in authority, whose decision is doubtful.
the persecutor accuses the suppliant of wrongdoing, and the power makes a
judgment against the suppliant. Example: The Trial
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. Example: Ifigenia in
Tauride 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 Pursuit
punishment; a fugitive the fugitive flees punishment for a
misunderstood conflict. Example: Les Misérables
Disaster a vanquished power; a victorious enemy
or a messenger the power falls from their place after
being defeated by the victorious enemy or being informed of such a defeat by
the messenger. Example: Agamemnon 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
Revolt a tyrant; a conspirator
the tyrant, a cruel power, is plotted against by the conspirator. Example:
Julius Caesar 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 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 Obtaining
(a Solicitor & an adversary who is refusing) or
the solicitor is at odds with the adversary who refuses to give the
solicitor what they object in the possession of the adversary, or an
arbitrator decides who gets the object desired by opposing parties. Example:
Apple of Discord Enmity of kin
a Malevolent Kinsman; a Hated or a reciprocally-hating Kinsman
The Malevolent Kinsman and the Hated or a second Malevolent Kinsman conspire
together. Rivalry of kin
the Preferred Kinsman; the Rejected Kinsman; the Object of Rivalry
The Object of Rivalry chooses the Preferred Kinsman over the Rejected
Kinsman. Example: Wuthering Heights Murderous adultery
two Adulterers; a Betrayed Spouse Two Adulterers conspire to kill the
Betrayed Spouse. Example: Clytemnestra and Aegisthus
Madness a Madman; a Victim
The Madman goes insane and wrongs the Victim.
Fatal imprudence the Imprudent; a Victim or an Object
Lost The Imprudent, by neglect or ignorance,
loses the Object Lost or wrongs the Victim.
Involuntary crimes of love a Lover; a Beloved; a Revealer
The Revealer betrays the trust of either the Lover or the Beloved.
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; an Ideal; a Creditor or a
Person/Thing sacrificed The Hero sacrifices the Person or Thing
for their Ideal, which is then taken by the Creditor.
Self-sacrifice 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.
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.
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.
Rivalry of superior vs. inferior a Superior Rival; an Inferior Rival; the
Object of Rivalry A Superior Rival bests an Inferior Rival
and wins the Object of Rivalry. Adultery
two Adulterers; a Deceived Spouse Two Adulterers conspire against the
Deceived Spouse. Crimes of love
a Lover; the Beloved A Lover and the Beloved enter a
conflict. 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. An enemy loved
a Lover; the Beloved Enemy; the Hater 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. Conflict with a god
a Mortal; an Immortal The Mortal and the Immortal enter a
conflict. Mistaken jealousy
a Jealous 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 a Culprit; 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. Recovery of a lost one
a Seeker; the One Found The Seeker finds the One Found.
Loss of loved ones a Kinsman Slain; a Kinsman Spectator; an
Executioner The killing of the Kinsman Slain by the
Executioner is witnessed by the Kinsman Spectator.
See also Morphology
The Seven Basic Plots References
External links Full text available at Internet Archive
Full text available at Wikisource What are the seven basic literary plots?
This edition of The Straight Dope criticizes taxonomic attempts at
classifying plots, instead suggesting to simply "focus on what works today."
20 Basic Plots from the Tennessee Screenwriting Association