4Dramatic+text+structure

The Structure of a Dramatic Text
 * 1) **The opening** - This is the beginning of the play and where the playwright introduces the main characters, the setting and the other information that the audience needs to know so they can follow the plot. It is sometimes called the exposition (argument). Eg. Boy meets Girl.
 * 2) **Rising Action** - This is the action that takes the plot forward and builds up to the climax. Eg. Boy falls in love with girl.
 * 3) **Complication** - This is the event in the plot that causes other events to occur and leads to the climax. It is the event that sets off the chain reaction within the play. Eg. Father will not give the boy permission to marry.
 * 4) **Climax** - This is the 'high point' in the play. It is the point to which the rising action has been leading. Eg. Boy saves father from drowning and he gives the permission to marry.
 * 5) **Falling action** - This is the action that occurs after the climax and leads to the end. Eg. Boy and girl get maried.
 * 6) **Denoument** - This is the 'unravelling' where the audience learns how and why things happened as they did. It occurs within the falling action. Eg. The father was in love with the boy's mother and she refused to marry him.
 * 7) **Ending** - This is the conclusion of the play. It sometimes has a moral or message about life. Eg. Boy and girl live happily ever after. True love is the most important thing in the world and people should not try to stop those in love from getting married.

For Example: The Structure of the Induction (a mini play that introduces the main play) to Taming of the Shrew __Setting__: An ale house (pub) then, the Lord's house. __Plot:__ The Lord decides to make a fool of Sly for his own amusement. He sets up and explains to the audience the trick on Sly ||
 * Opening || __Main characters__: (A) Christopher Sly, a drunkard, a bit of a fool. (B) The Lord. He is capable of cruelty, is used to getting his way and using others for his own amusement.
 * Rising Action || Sly wakes up and the Lord carries out his cruel trick. The plan proceeds towards its ultimate end - Sly believing everything that is said and done to him, looking and sounding ridiculous. ||
 * Complication || The Lord adds more elements to his plan, such as a 'wife' for Sly and players to put on a show for him. ||
 * Climax || Sly believes that he is the Lord and has a 'wife'. He even tries to sleep with his 'wife', not knowing that 'she' is, in fact,a man. In the beginning, the audience kind of felt for Sly but now he sounds very ridiculous (funny in a cruel way) and the Lord is really enjoying himself. ||
 * Falling Action || We have laughed at Sly now it is time to get ready to watch the main play. Sly and his 'wife' sit and look forward to the amusement put on by the players. ||
 * Denouement || The audience finds out how the players fit into the Lord's trick, why Shakespeare wrote the Tamingof the Shrew and how the players are going to add to the amusement. ||
 * Ending || The beginnng of the main play. The induction was the introduction to the play and naturally ends with the end of the beginning. ||