Rising Action
Classify the plot stage
Score: 0/0Three witches greet Macbeth and Banquo on the heath with a prophecy that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and then King.
Which stage of the story arc is this?
Pronounced RY-zing AK-shun.
Rising Action: The sequence of escalating conflicts, obstacles and complications that build tension between a story's inciting incident and its climax.
In Gustav Freytag's five-part dramatic pyramid (Exposition -> Inciting Incident -> Rising Action -> Climax -> Falling Action -> Resolution), the rising action carries the bulk of the narrative word count, typically spanning from the 12% mark to the 75% or 85% mark of a novel. Writers use progressive complications during the rising action to test the protagonist, close off easy exits, raise the personal stakes, and force the hero toward an unavoidable crisis at the climax.
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Spot the Rising Action
Score: 0/0The sequence of escalating conflicts, obstacles and complications that build tension between a story's inciting incident and its climax.
"After Prim's name is called at the Reaping (inciting incident), Katniss volunteers as tribute, travels to the Capitol, wins sponsors, forms an alliance with Rue, and survives escalating arena traps on the way to the climax."
Which work is this from?
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Rising Action: common questions
What is rising action in literature?
The sequence of escalating conflicts, obstacles and complications that build tension between a story's inciting incident and its climax. In Gustav Freytag's five-part dramatic pyramid (Exposition -> Inciting Incident -> Rising Action -> Climax -> Falling Action -> Resolution), the rising action carries the bulk of the narrative word count, typically spanning from the 12% mark to the 75% or 85% mark of a novel. Writers use progressive complications during the rising action to test the protagonist, close off easy exits, raise the personal stakes, and force the hero toward an unavoidable crisis at the climax.
What is an example of rising action?
A classic example is "After Prim's name is called at the Reaping (inciting incident), Katniss volunteers as tribute, travels to the Capitol, wins sponsors, forms an alliance with Rue, and survives escalating arena traps on the way to the climax." (The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins).
What is the difference between the inciting incident and the rising action?
The inciting incident is a single event that upsets the protagonist's normal world and starts the plot (such as Prim's name being drawn at the Reaping). The rising action is the entire chain of escalating scenes, obstacles and choices that follow that event all the way up to the climax.
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