Patterns of Drama
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Abstract: This document explores some aspects
of the anatomy of drama. The underlying purpose of this text is finding
a workable model for use in interactive software, specifically computer
games and computer generated interactive fiction. To this end, the document
starts with an analysis of Georges Polti's 36 dramatic situations
and from those are extracted the fundamental properties and components
necessary to build drama. Finally, the document outlines how to apply this
information to a real application.
The document is part of the Haven
project
.
Availability: Public.
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Contents
Background
- Purpose
- Format
- Polti's Cases
- Elements Recognized
in Polti
- Reorganization
- Making Use of the
Elements
- Links
- Bibliography and Sources
- Copyright
Background
This text is based on a list published in many places on
the web. That list in turn is based on a book by Georges Polti called
" The Thirty-six Dramatic Situations" (original French title
" Les Trente-Six Situations Dramatiques ", 1868?), published
in 1916 (the book unfortunately seems a bit hard to find, Amazon for
instance only had a used copy last I looked - there is however an
entry for it
). The ISBN for the English translation is apparently 0-87116-109-5.
One edition was published by Writer Paperback Library.
The list is reprinted/published in many places on the net:
The list of Polti has obvious overlap (Enmity of Kinsmen
(#13) and Rivalry of Kinsmen (#14) for instance are
obviously quite similar) and may lack some categories - one post (archived
here
) on the usenet newsgroup alt.movies.silent by David P.
Hayes for instance argues that
There is a lot of overlap of categories in Polti's list. "Enmity
of Kinsmen" and "Rivalry of Kinsmen" are two separate categories.
"Self-Sacrifice for an Ideal" and "Self-Sacrifice" for Kindred" are
another two. "Adultery," "Murderous Adultery," "Crimes of Love," and
"Involuntary Crimes of Love" count as four situations, although they
scarcely seem to qualify as plots apart from one another. Likewise, there
are four separate numbers given to "Erroneous Judgment" and three variations
on this: "Slaying of Kinsman Unrecognized," "Fatal Impudence," and "Mistaken
Jealousy."
Nowhere in Polti's list is there a place for "Invention," "Intellectual
Development," "Character Transformation," or "Character Reading Leading
to a Change in Circumstances." Therefore, there is no slot on the list
where one could categorize the main plot thrusts of "Pygmalion," "Woman
on the Moon," "The Country Girl," or even such modern stuff as "The
Lawnmower Man"--actually, sci-fi is cut off before it's even looked
at.
Regardless of the flaws of the original list or its value
as a tool in conventional literature and drama, this text is part of
an attempt to make use of the basic structure of Polti's work.
Purpose
Using Polti's list as a starting point, we set up a framework for defining
situations in which events can take place. The goal is not to adhere to Polti's
list but to get material useful for creating drama or modelling creation
of dramatic situations.
Other attempts at using Polti's list have been made:
The underlying purpose of this text is finding a workable model
for use in interactive software, specifically computer games and computer
generated interactive fiction.
Format
The format selected for this approach to Polti's system
is (loosely) that of design patterns - if you are unfamiliar with the
concept a quick web search should get you started. The idea comes from
Alexander's design patterns for architecture, its use here stems from
the recent interest in design patterns for software engineering.
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Pattern Template
This is a descriptive name for the pattern
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Actors:
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
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Discussion: Optional. May contain background
and develop some aspect of the problem.
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Polti's Cases
(This list contains all 36 situations from Polti. It is a word-for-word
copy of several identical listings found on the web with only capitalization
and format changed. The contents of Polti's text is in the Actors and
the Specifics sections for each situation)
1. Supplication
Seeking aid, shelter, assistance
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Actors:
- A persecutor
- A suppliant
- A power in authority whose decision is doubtful
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Fugitives imploring the powerful for help against
their enemies
- 2. Assistance implored for the performance of a pious
duty which has been forbidden
- 3. Appeal for a refuge in which to die
- B
- 1. Hospitality besought by the shipwrecked
- 2. Charity entreated by those cast off by their own
people, whom they have disgraced
- 3. Expiation, the seeking of pardon, healing or deliverance
- 4. The surrender of a corpse, or of a relic, solicited
- C
- 1. Supplication of the powerful for those dear to the
suppliant
- 2. Supplication to a relative, in behalf of another
relative
- 3. Supplication to a mother's lover, in her behalf
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Discussion:
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2. Deliverance
Rescue from a threatener
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Actors:
- An unfortunate
- A threatener
- A rescuer
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Appearance of a rescuer to the condemned
- B
- 1. A parent placed upon the throne by his children
- 2. Rescue by friends or by strangers grateful for benefits
or hospitality
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Discussion:
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3. Vengeance of a Crime
(Crime pursued by Vengeance)
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Actors:
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. The avenging of a slain parent or ancestor
- 2. The avenging of a slain child or descendant
- 3. Vengeance for a child dishonored
- 4. The avenging of a slain wife or husband
- 5. Vengeance for the dishonor or attempted dishonor of
a wife
- 6. Vengeance for a mistress slain
- 7. Vengeance for a slain or injured friend
- 8. Vengeance for a sister seduced
- B
- 1. Vengeance for intentional injury or spoiliation
- 2. Vengeance for having been despoiled during absence
- 3. Revenge for an attempted slaying
- 4. Revenge for a false accusation
- 5. Vengeance for violation
- 6. Vengeance for having been robbed of one's own
- 7. Revenge upon a whole sex for a deception by one
- C
- 1. Professional pursuit of criminals
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Discussion:
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4. Vengeance Taken for Kindred upon Kindred
Fighting in the Family
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Actors:
- Avenging kinsman
- Guilty kinsman
- Remembrance of the victim, a relative of both
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. A father's death avenged upon a mother
- 2. A mother's death avenged upon a father
- B
- 1. A brother's death avenged upon a son
- C
- 1. A father's death avenged upon a husband
- D
- 1. A husband's death avenged upon a father
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Discussion:
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5. Pursuit
Fugitive and Pursuers
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Actors:
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Fugitives from justice pursued for brigandage, political
offenses etc.
- B
- 1. Pursued for a fault of love
- C
- 1. A hero struggling against a power
- D
- 1. A pseudo-madman struggling against an Iago
-like alienist
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Discussion:
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Actors:
- A vanquished power
- A victorious enemy or a messenger
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Defeat suffered
- 2. A fatherland destroyed
- 3. The fall of humanity
- 4. A natural catastrophe
- B
- C
- 1. Ingratitude suffered
- 2. The suffering of unjust punishment or enmity
- 3. An outrage suffered
- D
- 1. Abandonment by a lover or a husband
- 2. Children lost by their parent
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Discussion:
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7. Falling Prey to Cruelty or Misfortune
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Actors:
- An unfortunate
- A master or a misfortune
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. The innocent made victim of ambitious intrigue
- B
- 1. The innocent despoiled by those who should protect
- C
- 1. The powerful dispossessed and wretched
- 2. A favorite or an intimate finds himself forgotten
- D
- 1. The unfortunate robbed of their only hope
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Discussion:
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Actors:
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. A conspiracy chiefly of one individual
- 2. A conspiracy of several
- B
- 1. A revolt of one individual, who influences and involves
others
- 2. A revolt of many
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Discussion:
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Actors:
- A bold leader
- An object
- An adversary
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- B
- C
- 1. Carrying off a desired person or object
- 2. Recapture of a desired object
- D
- 1. Adventurous expedition
- 2. Adventure undertaken for the purpose of obtaining
a beloved woman
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Discussion:
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Actors:
- An abductor
- An abducted
- A guardian
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Abduction of an unwilling woman
- B
- 1. Abduction of an unwilling woman
- C
- 1. Recapture of the woman without the slaying of the
abductor
- 2. Recapture of the woman with the slaying of the ravisher
- D
- 1. Rescue of a captive friend
- 2. Rescue of a child
- 3. Rescue of a soul in captivity to error
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Discussion:
D3 seems queer to me - is it "a soul in captivity due to
error"? The whole error bit seems a bit redundant.
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Actors:
- An interrogator
- A seeker
- A problem
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. A search for a person who must be found on pain of
death
- B
- 1. A riddle to be solved on pain of death
- 2. A riddle, to be solved on pain of death, proposed
by the coveted woman
- C
- 1. Temptations offered with the object of discovering
his name
- 2. Temptations offered with the object of ascertaining
the sex
- 3. Tests for the purpose of ascertaining the mental condition
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Discussion:
This whole case seems a bit weird. Why the riddle being proposed
by "the coveted woman" is a separate case is beyond me, as is the inclusion
of temptations.
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Actors:
- A solicitor
- An adversary who is refusing
or
- An arbitrator
- Opposing parties
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Efforts to obtain an object by ruse or force
- B
- 1. Endeavor by means of persuasive eloquence alone
- C
- 1. Eloquence with an arbitrator
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Discussion:
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Actors:
- A malevolent kinsman
- A hatred, or a reciprocally hating kinsman
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Hatred of brothers; one brother hated by several
- 2. Reciprocal hatred
- 3. Hatred between relatives for reasons of self-interest
- B
- 1. Hatred father-son; of son for the father
- 2. Mutual hatred
- 3. Hatred of daughter for father
- C
- 1. Hatred of grandfather for grandson
- D
- 1. Hatred of father-in-law for son-in-law
- E
- 1. Hatred of mother-in-law for daughter-in-law
- F
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Discussion:
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Actors:
- The preferred kinsman
- The rejected kinsman
- The object
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Malicious rivalry of a brother
- 2. Malicious rivalry of two brothers
- 3. Rivalry of two brothers, with adultery on the part
of one
- 4. Rivalry of sisters
- B
- 1. Rivalry of father and son, for an unmarried woman
- 2. Rivalry of father and son, for a married woman
- 3. Case similar to the two foregoing, but in which the
object is already the wife of the father
- 4. Rivalry of mother and daughter
- C
- D
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Discussion:
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Actors:
- Two adulterers
- A betrayed husband or wife
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. The slaying of a husband by or for a paramour
- 2. The slaying of a trusted lover
- B
- 1. Slaying of a wife for a paramour and in self-interest
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Discussion:
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Actors:
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Kinsmen slain in madness
- 2. Lover slain in madness
- 3. Slaying or injuring of a person not hated
- B
- 1. Disgrace brought upon oneself through madness
- C
- 1. Loss of loved ones brought about by madness
- D
- 1. Madness brought on by fear of hereditary insanity
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Discussion:
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Actors:
- The imprudent
- The victim or the object lost
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Imprudence the cause of one's own misfortune
- 2. Imprudence the cause of one's own dishonor
- B
- 1. Curiosity the cause of one's own misfortune
- 2. Loss of the possession of a loved one through curiosity
- C
- 1. Curiosity the cause of death or misfortune to others
- 2. Imprudence the cause of a relative's death
- 3. Imprudence the cause of a lover's death
- 4. Credulity the cause of kinsmen's death
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Discussion:
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18. Involuntary Crimes of Love
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Actors:
- The lover
- The beloved
- The revealer
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Discovery that one has married one's mother
- 2. Discovery that one has had one's sister as mistress
- B
- 1. Discovery that one has married one's sister
- 2. The same case, in which the crime has been villainously
planned by a third person
- 3. Being upon the point of unknowingly taking a sister
as mistress
- C
- 1. Being upon the point of unknowingly violating a daughter
- D
- 1. Being upon the point of committing an adultery unknowingly
- 2. Adultery committed unknowingly
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Discussion:
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19. Slaying of a Kinsman Unrecognized
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Actors:
- The slayer
- The unrecognized victim
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Being upon the point of slaying a daughter unknowingly,
by command of a divinity or an oracle
- 2. Through political necessity
- 3. Through a rivalry in love
- 4. Through hatred of the lover of the unrecognized daughter
- B
- 1. Being upon the point of killing a son unknowingly
- 2. The same case, strengthened by machiavellian instigations
- C
- 1. Being upon the point of slaying a brother unknowingly
- D
- 1. Slaying of a mother unrecognized
- E
- 1. A father slain unknowingly, through machiavellian
advice
- F
- 1. A grandfather slain unknowingly, in vengeance and
through instigation
- G
- 1. Involuntary killing of a loved woman
- 2. Being upon the point of killing a lover unrecognized
- 3. Failure to rescue an unrecognized son
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Discussion:
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20. Self-sacrificing for an Ideal
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Actors:
- The hero
- The ideal
- The creditor or the person of thing sacrificed
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Sacrifice of life for the sake of one's word
- 2. Life sacrifice for the success of one's people
- 3. Life sacrificed in filial piety
- 4. Life sacrificed for the sake of one's faith
- B
- 1. Both love and life sacrificed for one's faith, or
a cause
- 2. Love sacrificed to the interests of state
- C
- 1. Sacrifice of well-being to duty
- D
- 1. The ideal of 'honor' sacrificed to the ideal of 'faith'
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Discussion:
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21. Self-sacrifice for Kindred
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Actors:
- The hero
- The kinsman
- The "creditor" or the person or thing sacrificed
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Life sacrificed for that of a relative or loved one
- 2. Life sacrificed for the happiness of a relative or
loved one
- B
- 1. Ambition sacrificed for the happiness of a parent
- 2. Ambition sacrificed for the life of a parent
- C
- 1. Love sacrificed for the sake a parent's life
- 2. For the happiness of one's child
- 3. The same as (2) but caused by unjust laws
- D
- 1. Life and honor sacrificed for the life of a parent
or loved one
- 2. Modesty sacrificed for the life of a relative or loved
one
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Discussion:
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22. All Sacrificed for a Passion
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Actors:
- The lover
- The object of the fatal passion
- The person or thing sacrificed
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Religious vows of chastity broken for a passion
- 2. Respect for a priest destroyed
- 3. A future ruined by passion
- 4. Power ruined by passion
- 5. Ruin of mind, health and life
- 6. Ruin of fortunes, lives and honors
- B
- 1. Temptations destroying the sense of duty, of piety,
etc
- C
- 1. Destruction of honor, fortune, and life by erotic
vice
- 2. The same effect produced by any other vice
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Discussion:
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23. Necessity of Sacrificing Loved Ones
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Actors:
- The hero
- The beloved victim
- The necessity for the sacrifice
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Necessity for sacrificing a daughter in the public
interest
- 2. Duty of sacrificing her in fulfillment of a vow to
God
- 3. Duty of sacrificing benefactors or loved ones to one's
faith
- B
- 1. Duty of sacrificing one's child, unknown to others,
under the pressure of necessity
- 2. Duty of sacrificing, under the same cirumstances,
one's father or husband
- 3. Duty of sacrificing a son-in-law for the public good
- 4. Duty of contending with a brother-in-law for public
good
- 5. Duty of contending with a friend
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Discussion:
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24. Rivalry of Superior and Inferior
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Actors:
- The superior rival
- The inferior rival
- The object
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Masculine rivalry; of a mortal and an immortal
- 2. Of a magician and an ordinary man
- 3. Of conqueror and conquered
- 4. Of a king and a noble
- 5. Of a powerful person and an upstart
- 6. Of rich and poor
- 7. Of an honored one and a suspected one
- 8. Rivalry of two who are almost equal
- 9. Of the two successive husbands of a divorcee
- B
- 1. Feminine rivalries; of a sorceress and an ordinary
woman
- 2. Of victor and prisoner
- 3. Of queen and subject
- 4. Of lady and servant
- 5. Rivalry between memory or an ideal (that of a superior
woman) and a vassal of her own
- C
- 1. Double rivalry (A loves B, who loves C, who loves
D)
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Discussion:
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Actors:
- A deceived husband or wife
- Two adulterers
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. A mistress betrayed, for a young woman
- 2. For a young wife
- B
- 1. A wife betrayed, for a slave who does not love in
return
- 2. For debauchery
- 3. For a married woman
- 4. With the intention of bigamy
- 5. For a young girl, who does not love in return
- 6. A wife envied by a young girl who is in love with
her husband
- 7. By a courtesan
- C
- 1. An antagonistic husband sacrificed for a congenial
lover
- 2. A husband, believed to be lost, forgotten for a rival
- 3. A commonplace husband sacrificed for a sympathetic
lover
- 4. A good husband betrayed for an inferior lover
- 5. For a grotesque rival
- 6. For a commonplace rival, by a perverse wife
- 7. For a rival less handsome, but useful
- D
- 1. Vengeance of a deceived husband
- 2. Jealousy sacrificed for the sake of a cause
- 3. Husband persecuted by a rejected rival
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Discussion:
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Actors:
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. A mother in love with her son
- 2. A daughter in love with her father
- 3. Violation of a daughter by a father
- B
- 1. A woman enamored of her stepson
- 2. A woman and her stepson enamored if each other
- 3. A woman being the mistress, at the same time, of a
father and son, both of whom accept the situation
- C
- 1. A man becomes the lover of his sister-in-law
- 2. A brother and sister in love with each other
- D
- 1. A man enamored of another man, who yields
- E
- 1. A woman enamored of a beast
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Discussion:
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27. Discovery of the Dishonour of a Loved One
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Actors:
- The discoverer
- The guilty one
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Discovery of a mother's shame
- 2. Discovery of a father's shame
- 3. Discovery of a daughter's dishonor
- B
- 1. Discovery of dishonor in the family of one's fiancee
- 2. Discovery that one's wife has been violated before
marriage, or since the marriage
- 3. That she has previously committed a fault
- 4. Discovery that she has previously been a prostitute
- 5. Discovery that one's mistress, formerly a prostitute,
has returned to her old life
- 6. Discovery that one's lover is a scoundrel, or that
one's mistress is a woman of bad character
- 7. The same discovery concerning one's wife
- C
- 1. Duty of punishing a son who is a traitor to country
- 2. Duty of punishing a son condemned under a law which
the father has made
- 3. Duty of punishing one's mother to avenge one's father
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Discussion:
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Actors:
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Marriage prevented by inequality of rank
- 2. Inequality of fortune an impediment to marriage
- B
- 1. Marriage prevented by enemies and contingent obstacles
- C
- 1. Marriage forbidden on account of the young woman's
previous betrothal to another
- D
- 1. A free union impeded by the opposition of relatives
- E
- 1. By the incompatibility of temper of the lovers
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Discussion:
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Actors:
- The beloved enemy
- The lover
- The hater
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. The loved one hated by kinsmen of the lover
- 2. The lover pursued by the brothers of his beloved
- 3. The lover hated by the family of his beloved
- 4. The beloved is an enemy of the party of the woman
who loves him
- B
- 1. The beloved is the slayer of a kinsman of the woman
who loves him
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Discussion:
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Actors:
- An ambitious person
- A thing coveted
- An adversary
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Ambition watched and guarded against by a kinsman,
or by a person under obligation
- B
- C
- 1. Ambition and covetousness heaping crime upon crime
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Discussion:
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31. Conflict with a God
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Actors:
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Struggle against a deity
- 2. Strife with the believers in a god
- B
- 1. Controversy with a deity
- 2. Punishment for contempt of a god
- 3. Punishment for pride before a god
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Discussion:
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Actors:
- The mistaken one
- The victim of the mistake
- The object of whose possession he is jealous
- The supposed accomplice
- The cause or the author of the mistake
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. The mistake originates in the mind of the mistaken
one
- 2. Mistaken jealousy aroused by fatal chance
- 3. Mistaken jealousy of a love which is purely platonic
- 4. Baseless jealousy aroused by malicious rumours
- B
- 1. Jealousy suggested by a traitor who is moved by hatred,
or self-interest
- C
- 1. Reciprocal jealousy suggested to husband and wife
by a rival
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Discussion:
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33. Erroneous Judgement
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Actors:
- The mistaken one
- The victim of the mistake
- The cause or author of the mistake
- The guilty person
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. False suspicion where faith is necessary
- 2. False suspicion of a mistress
- 3. False suspicion aroused by a misunderstood attitude
of a loved one
- B
- 1. False suspicions drawn upon oneself to save a friend
- 2. They fall upon the innocent
- 3. The same as case 2., but in which the innocent had
a guilty intention, or believes himself guilty
- 4. A witness to the crime, in the interest of a loved
one, lets accusation fall upon the innocent
- C
- 1. The accusation is allowed to fall upon an enemy
- 2. The error is provoked by an enemy
- D
- 1. False suspicion thrown by the real culprit upon one
of his enemies
- 2. Thrown by the culprit upon the second victim against
whom he has plotted from the beginning
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Discussion:
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Actors:
- The culprit
- The victim or the sin
- The interrogator
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Remorse for an unknown crime
- 2. Remorse for a parricide
- 3. Remorse for an assassination
- B
- 1. Remorse for a fault of love
- 2. Remorse for an adultery
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Discussion:
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35. Recovery of a Lost One
-
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Actors:
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- B
- C
- 1. A child searches to discover his father
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Discussion:
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Actors:
- A kinsman slain
- A kinsman spectator
- An executioner
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Situation:
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Consequence:
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Specifics:
- A
- 1. Witnessing the slaying of kinsmen while powerless
to prevent it
- 2. Helping to bring misfortune upon one's people through
professional secrecy
- B
- 1. Divining the death of a loved one
- C
- 1. Learning of the death of a kinsman or ally, and lapsing
into despair
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Discussion:
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Elements Recognized in Polti
[This section so far is a notepad...]
Using Polti as input and adding other items worthy of interest.
I believe that the "system" of Polti is useless. It is based in
part on values, in part on effect, instead of being based on structure.
The use one can derive from Polti is therefore mostly as a starting point
for gathering cases to be covered. Polti does not appear to understand
or use the concept of abstraction at all.
Cf situations #7 (Falling prey to misfortune) and #23 (Necessity
of sacrificing loved ones); There is obvious overlap between the two,
such that in some cases they only differ in focus - one is the story of
the victim, one of the betrayer.
Cf situation #24 (Rivalry of superior and inferior); it is in its
essence a case with two well defined actors who only need to be equipped
with a context within which the specified relationship exists - saying
mortality/magic ability/victory/power/wealth/honor is that context
satisfies nearly all the cases Polti mentions. Add the case of rivalry
with a memory, of double rivalry (valid or not), and possibility of circumstances
such as imprisonment (one actor wielding additional powers over the other)
and they're all covered. Instead, Polti divides the case into masculine
and feminine, without covering the equal circumstances of the two (and with
no plausible reason for it).
The solution is to use structure of the situation as the means of describing
it instead of Polti's arbitrary categorization of events which is based on
genre and values.
Re-examining Polti's List
We divide a situation into three main parts: the primary cause, the
attempted resolution by the actors and the actual consequences. The primary
cause also needs to consider modifications, motivators and context.
Causes of Conflict or Tension
This analysis recognizes 10 distinct causes of conflict or tension.
Circumstances that create conflict out of nothing. In themselves,
these do not create a dramatic situation, but they are very useful initiators
for events that do so.
Outer factors
- Disaster. Typically a natural force or similar.
- Discovery. Discovery of material assets, capability or knowledge.
Circumstances that build up tension, triggering events and actions or bringing
existing tension to increased urgency
- Love, Lust. The primary emotional positive mover.
- Need, Want, Greed. The primary material positive mover.
- Ambition, Hunger. The primary social positive mover.
- Madness
- Danger, Threat, Opportunity. Very broad. Applicable to a wide
range of causes and contexts, including chess-move maneovering and plotting.
- Vengeance. Requires pre-existing cause.
- Enmity, Rivalry. Does not always require but may be well served
by pre-existing cause.
- Duty, Taboo, Obstacle to love. Requires set of circumstances
that make a hindrance.
Modification, Context and Motivators
The situation must be further quantified to be useful. Context and
motivators are mandatory parameters, while modifications are optionally
complicating circumstances. 6 distinct motivators and 12 distinct contexts
are recognized here - each can have multiple applications in any situation.
5 different modifications are recognized.
Modifications
- Plea for help. Proximity modifier.
- Delay. Formal modifier only.
- In error. Formal modifier only. May make information discovery
a likely course of action?
- Sacrifice, Duty. Compositional modifier. May make circumstances
that taken each on its own are harmless turn into critical conflicts.
- Deception, Betrayal, Plotting or schemeing by a third person.
Complicator that removes the true cause of events one step. Any
of the above causes or situations may be the true motivator of the initiator.
Context
- Marriage, Spouse, Intimate, Lover
- Family, Ascendant, Descendant
- Clan, Kin
- Friendship
- Status Controller, Tyrant, Monarch, Ruler, Protector, Benefactor,
Owner. Jailor, ruler etc.Various forms of material or social superiority/inferiority.
- Organizational. Military organizations for instance create a
particular type of contexts.
- Religious, Deity
- Geographical. Village, neighbor etc.
- Teacher, Mentor, Tutor
- Professional
- Business
- Ownership (of item or asset), Debtor.
Note that contexts are the proper place to tie in positional description
and provides the relations of actors. The context can be said to be the first
thing to establish in many narratives, usually followed by motivators and
the tension builders.
Motivators
- Faith, Honor, Ideal
- Love, Desire
- Ambition
- Want or Lack for Item
- Knowledge, Capability
- Debt, Personal or Material
Responses, Means and Complications
Responses to circumstances
- Enigma, Mystery. Information discovery.
- Obtaining. Resolution for material causes or for proxies of
other causes.
- Revolt. Response to physical or social threat.
Changing a situation by conflict.
- Pursuit, Rescue, Abduction. Response to physical or social threat.
Changing, avoiding or postponing a situation by evasion or stealth.
- Enterprise. Response to any cause. Catch-all for otherwise unclassifiable
resolutions.
Means
- By force: Theft, Robbery, Abduction, Conquest
- Presenting information: Truth, Falsehood
- Transfer of resources: Bargain, Purchase, Gift
- Demonstrating capability or power: Show of force, solving a problem
- Debt cancellation: Calling in a debt, Fulfilling repayment
Complications
- Degree of urgency. Is the mover prepared to break laws, taboos,
kill, injure etc, how much is the mover prepared to pay a proxy?
- Degree of potency. How powerful are the various movers in the
respective Contexts?
Resolution and Consequence
Resolution
- Successful
- Partially successful
- Failure
Consequences
- Removal of an actor: Death, Injury, Exile, Ejection, Denounciation,
Demotion, Humiliation, Imprisonment, Punishment
- Reevaluation: Someone's view of someone changes, changes in status,
Hierarchical changes
- Change of possession: Ownership of item, Reward
- Ability: Knowledge gained or lost, capability gained or lost
- Need fulfilled
- Repayment: Cancellation of debt
Approaching the Problem
Introduction of Tension
A key aspect of building up dramatic situations is introduction of tension.
Tension must be injected into the situation somehow. Building dramatic situations
is about how this tension is introduced and how it is resolved. Part of
the analysis of to be undertaken here consists of identifying what is part
of the dramatic situation and what is part of the form of introduction of
tension.
Challenges in Modelling
There may be problems with some of the cases in Polti and with
dramatic situations in general in that they may be hard to model and
there may be some problems related to modelling as a whole. Some of these
are summarized here.
- Deception or misinformation, lack of knowledge
Modelling lack of knowledge seems harder than modelling knowledge
itself. The problem becomes apparent when trying to abstract plots
based on situations where one actors actions would have been different
if that actor had known the real truth of affairs, such as when involuntary
or unknowingly effecting the death or suffering of unrecognized relatives
(as in several of Polti's cases). On the other hand, it may be the case
that those dramas represent situations that are the most contrived,
and that they may be less desirable for automatically generating. A world
of unrecognized siblings is not generally something to strive for.
The modifiers In error and Plotting or schemeing by a
third party both fit here.
There is a need to be able to create situations in which
the flow of events is non-trivial. Interlocked events may be one way of
achieving this.
With this we mean intertwined situations, where actors
are simultaneously involved in several situations. This is extremely common
in literature and cinema. Arranging complexes of the type seen in advanced
drama presents a new level of challenge to the whole problem.
The modifier Sacrifice, Duty is a good example of a situation
requiring the ability to model both double binds and situation complexes.
The crucial part of the modelling may be the planning
of the actions to be taken by actors. At this time I see this mostly
as an AI problem. In some cases the plan is trivial - if the desired
change state is acquisition of an item the alternatives may be purchase
or theft, and the decision of which one to use is simply influenced by
means available (money or barter to trade with) and disposition (whether
theft is permissible or acceptable to the actor). Once the plan is made,
execution can be delegated to another actor (i.e. the player).
New settings or conditions may represent challenges.
What if something not previously included in the model of the world needed
inclusion? Say for instance, that dreams or prophesies were suddenly a requisite
(as motivators, means, information or whatever). Unless such additions can
be represented using the existing building blocks, this may be a problem.
Reorganization
This section introduces some things needed to model drama that
were beyond the scope of Polti.
Proxies
Proxies are actors working for or representing another actor.
They may be active parts of the events taking place or they may be just
messengers or carriers of means. In a model situation, the proxy role
is the most likely for a player to take on.
Further Exploration
Further exploration of the topic can be found in
A Deeper Look at Conflicts
.
Making Use of the Elements
Some notes on the suitability of certain mechanisms, and the
usefulness of some of the situations in generated stories.
Need for External Prerequisites
To make reasonable use of certain patterns, external and pre-existing
state must be established. A murder mystery cannot happen unless someone
has been murdered (well, unless it's really a mystery of deception,
not murder), a person to be found must first be missing. The murder must
have had a reason or story, the missing person did not just poof. These
events most likely require background creation and introduce a second
problem - it is no good to waste a NPC's life in a murder mystery unless
a player finds out about it.
Large scale events are required for many situations - war and
natural catastrophes being examples, both with far-reaching consequences
like destruction of property, loss of life, refugees and general hardship.
These large events must either be introduced manually or be driven by
a large-scale event engine. When present, large events can be used to trigger
smaller events as cause or storyline for dynamic content. Large scale events
are very lucrative settings for drama. A changing world is an effective
setting making less engaging, smaller stories deliver a more appealing drama.
Note on Expert Systems
There is a noteworthy connection to problems in expert systems.
Expert systems frequently need to quantify or justify their reasoning
to the user in order to maintain credibility. For instance, a medical
advisor system will need to show why a certain action should be taken.
The same may be true for a system attempting to draw in a user
into the plots it designs. While a user may be satisfied with just reaping
the tangible benefits of performing an action within the system, to further
draw in the user it is necessary to make the events seem credible or
sensible within the context at hand. This information could take different
shapes - it could be the story told by an actor to the player in order to
explain what needs to be done and why, or it could be things the player
needs to find out in order to complete a mission. Regardless of how it
is presented, it serves to justify the actions and draw the user into the
flow of events.
Links
Beyond the links mentioned above, here are some for further
reference and investigation:
It would be very interesting to find any attempt at catalogueing
plot types of non-european drama. Polti's list was probably focused
on classic European works. The topic of Polti's list as related to Shakespeare's
dramas is sometimes brought up but while it is tempting to try to map
the 36 situations to Shakespeare's 36 plays, doing so is not very helpful.
The more interesting point is instead how very easy it is to envision
shakespearean drama based on each of the items in Polti's list. Indeed,
Shakespeare had a fine perception for the possibilities in dramatic situations.
Bibliography and Sources
- Georges Polti, The Thirty-six Dramatic Situations
, 1916 (original French title Les Trente-Six Situations Dramatiques
, 1868), ISBN 0-87116-109-5
Copyright
This text was written in its entirety by Olof Ekström
but is based on a book, see the background
section. For more information about the author of this
page, see Olof Ekström's personal information in the
Project Profiles
document.
Copyright © 2002 Olof Ekström/Extro System. All
rights reserved.
Bälinge/Uppsala, Sweden, April-July 2002