The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations

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.

Georges Polti’s 36 Dramatic Situations

Here are his 36 situation, including a discussion on each one:
  1. Supplication
  2. Deliverance
  3. Vengeance of a crime
  4. Vengeance taken for kindred upon kindred
  5. Pursuit
  6. Disaster
  7. Falling prey to cruelty or misfortune
  8. Revolt
  9. Daring enterprise
  10. Abduction
  11. Enigma
  12. Obtaining
  13. Enmity of kinsmen
  14. Rivalry of kinsmen
  15. Murderous adultery
  16. Madness
  17. Fatal imprudence
  18. Involuntary crimes of love
  19. Slaying of a kinsman unrecognized
  20. Self-sacrificing for an ideal
  21. Self-sacrifice for kindred
  22. All sacrificed for a passion
  23. Necessity of sacrificing loved ones
  24. Rivalry of superior and inferior
  25. Adultery
  26. Crimes of love
  27. Discovery of the dishonor of a loved one
  28. Obstacles to love
  29. An enemy loved
  30. Ambition
  31. Conflict with a god
  32. Mistaken jealousy
  33. Erroneous judgment
  34. Remorse
  35. Recovery of a lost one
  36. Loss of loved ones

79 Notes/ Hide

  1. mcconville reblogged this from judkins
  2. judkins reblogged this from merlin and added:
    is a descriptive list which was created by Georges Polti to categorize every dramatic situation that might occur in a...
  3. meanderous reblogged this from merlin
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  7. sostark reblogged this from travisekmark and added:
    Fatal Imprudence Is by far my favorite. merlin: The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations is a descriptive list which was...
  8. wessf reblogged this from merlin and added:
    Fascinating that someone took the initiative to create this list - I don’t even feel the urge to read through them all...
  9. travisekmark reblogged this from merlin
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  12. jeremysgriffin reblogged this from merlin and added:
    Thanks, Mr. Mann, for giving me the final inspiration I needed for my NaNoWriMo idea.