falling action

Freytag's Pyramid, which illustrates dramatic structure. The falling action is on the descending side of the pyramid.

The Falling action is the part of a story, usually found in tragedies and short stories, following the climax and showing the effects of the catastrophe).^[1]

History

In his Poetics the Greek philosopher Aristotle put forth the idea that "'ολον δε εστιν το εχον αρχην και μεσον και τελευτην" (1450b27) ("A whole is what has a beginning and middle and end"(1450b27)).^[2] Under Freytag's pyramid, the plot of a story consists of five parts: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and revelation/catastrophe, the dénouement.^[3]CM/jslsf/

References