Dramatic Foundations - Computers as Theatre - page 100

Figure 3.7. A more contemporary version of the shape of dramatic action
and its conventionally recognized parts
implementing, and revising plans and meeting resistances and obstacles
along the way. At some point, the action “goes critical”—that is, charac-
ters must make major decisions and take conclusive actions in pursuit of
their goals.
The crisis (segment D) is a period of heightened activity and commit-
ment, and it usually proceeds at a faster pace than the preceding action.
During this segment, many lines of probability are pruned away. The climax
(segment E) is the moment at which one of the lines of probability becomes
necessity, and all others are eliminated. Characters either succeed or fail to
achieve their goals (although those goals may have been reformulated dur-
ing the course of the dramatic action). This key incident is the turning point
of the action.
The falling action (segment F) represents the consequences of the climax,
as they reverberate through character and situation. The slope of the falling
action is characteristically rather steep; that is, things tend to fall into place
quickly once the climax has been reached. The dénouement (segment G) can
be described as the return to “normalcy” (the status quo of the dramatic
world). In English, the word “dénouement” means “untying” or “unravel-
ing.” The dramatic potential is exhausted; its intrinsic energy has been used
up by the action.