It is believed that in both films and literature there is only a small handful of basic plots and that whilst the plot lines turn in many different and often surprising directions the stories usually have more than a few factors in common. According to writer Ronald B. Tobias these plots are:
1. The Quest-A character driven plot line the Quest is the protagonist’s conscious search to find among other things a person, an object or a idea. At the end of the quest either the success or failure to find the desired target or more usually the journey itself is the catalyst for character development. An example is Quest for Fire.
2. Adventure-A journey that takes place away from the surroundings familiar to the Protagonist. Unlike the quest the Adventure plot is more action based as it is less character driven, the story focusing on the physical journey itself meaning that it the protagonist dose not necessarily change along the way. An example of the Adventure plot in films is Indiana Jones.
3. Pursuit-This is where one character pursues another and the other tries to avoid being found, either of which could be the protagonist. In the Pursuit plot there are generally high stakes involved and the chase itself is often more important than the character development. Two examples of the Pursuit plot are Jaws and Halloween.
4. Rescue-As with the Adventure plot here the protagonist is often thrown into a world they are uncomfortable with and like the Quest the protagonist is searching for something in an attempt to get it back. Also this plot line is generally more story than character driven. This plot line also relies on an antagonist character to provide conflict. The rescue plot deals with the concept of good versus evil as it can be argued that to be rescued you are delivered from something bad. An example of the rescue plot is The Seven Samurai where the object is to rescue the village from bandits out of a sense of justice.
5. Escape-A literal escape which follows the story of a protagonist confined against their will as they try to escape their situation. Often an audience is made to feel sympathetic towards the trapped character although there are times where the story is a battle of wills rather than good versus evil. It could be said that an example of this is The Shawshank Redemption.
6. Revenge-A retaliation against the antagonist for a real or fictitious hurt. An example is The Count of Monte Cristo.
7. The Riddle-The protagonist and as such the audience is prevented with a series of often ambiguous clues and uses them to try and either find the answer to a question or understand it. An example is Murder on the Orient Express.
8. Rivalry-A plot which relies heavily on conflict between the characters. A basic rivalry is two characters with equivalent but normally alternative strengths compete with each other over a specific goal. An example is Lord of the Flies.
9. Underdog-Like the rivalry plot the underdog plot is often a completion between characters over a certain goal however they are not evenly matched, the protagonist being at a huge disadvantage. In most underdog plots the audience watches as the protagonist works to achieve their target. An example is Run Fat Boy Run.
10. Temptation-A character driven plot this focuses on the frailty of human nature, the way we yield to temptation with mental or physical consequences and the ways in which we deal with them. An example is MacBeth
11. Metamorphosis-The Metamorphosis plot is unlike most others in the fact that it is not bound by realism as the change is as much physical as it is mental, allowing the outward appearance of the protagonist to morph from one form to another. A more common example of this is a human being changing into the form of an animal and vice versa and often the animal form matches the personality of the human. The journey of the Protagonist rights the situation or sometimes allows them to accept it. An example is Dracula.
12. Transformation-It is similar to Metamorphosis in the fact that this plot deals with change however it is decidedly character driven and the change is not literal. Here we watch the Protagonist grow and change from the person they were at the begging. A portion of the Protagonists life is isolated as they move from one important character state to another. This plot deals with the process of life and its effects on the individual. An example is The Invisible Man.
13. Maturation-This plot line is very closely linked to the Transformation plot although whilst the Transformation deals with adults who are in the process of changing the maturation plot focuses mostly on children as they become adults. The Maturation plot is fairly optimistic, allowing the Protagonist to change for the better rather than the worse. An example is Great Expectations.
14. Love-A love story where the main characters are within the rights of society but the where the situations they find themselves in are nonetheless against them or where their love is not condoned by others. The love plot is like the Maturation plot in the fact that it is optimistic as there is a decent chance that the characters will meet with success in the end. An example is Love Story.
15. Forbidden Love-This is where the main characters are restricted by the views of society, a few examples being their social class or religion. A story with this plot line has less chance of a happy ending than the love story as either society wins or the lovers pay for their disregard for the society with death. An example is Madame Bovary.
16. Sacrifice- Here the protagonists sacrifice themselves for their ideals, believing that there own needs are of lesser importance. For the protagonist an internal struggle is common where they must decide which path they will take, knowing that the risks are high and the reward great. An example is Casablanca.
17. Discovery-The Discovery plot is perhaps one of the most character driven as it deals with the self discovery of the Protagonist. An an example is A Portrait of a Lady.
18. Wretched Excess-A plot line which can convince the audience that whatever the cause of the protagonist’s turmoil in his excess that the same situation can happen to them to. The antagonist here can be a actual person but it can also be a thing, such as drink or wealth. The protagonists gradually loss themselves to the point where they can’t control their behaviours and either they are healed or the plot line becomes a tragedy from which the protagonist cannot escape. An example is Wall Street
19. Ascension-The rags to riches scenario where the positive character traits of the protagonist are rewarded with success in their goals. An example is The Rose and the Ring.
20. Descension-Riches to rags, the character driven plot line which deals with the protagonist’s downfall . This plot line is extremely closely linked to Ascension and they are sometimes paired in the same stories which focus on one a character’s rise and fall. An example is The Godfather, Part 3.
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