THE SEVEN (EIGHT!) BASIC PLOTS!

One of the biggest clichés of story telling is the premise that there are seven basic plots.( In recent years this has been upped to eight with the rise of films that have the “indomitable hero” [these films seem to have more in common with sport than writing])! The eight plots theory is true to a certain extent although most books, films and plays will twist two or more of these plots around each other. Soap Operas will usually have most of these plots running at once.

PLOT 1.

CINDERELLA.

The protagonist’s true potential for happiness and fulfilment is at last realised after many ups and downs, as in the age-old story of poor cinders who eventually, of course, receives her just deserts by getting hitched to the handsome prince.

EXAMPLES;

Pretty Woman, My Fair Lady.

PLOT 2.

ACHILLES.

The fatal flaw of the main character.

EXAMPLES;

Hamlet, Mac Beth, Amadeus and Laurence of Arabia.

PLOT 3.

FAUST.

The debt that must be repaid when fate finally catches up with you, as Faust did making a deal with the devil.

EXAMPLES;

Charlie Sheen in Wall Street, Tom Hanks in Bonfire Of The Vanities and Matt Damon in The Talented Mr Ripley.

PLOT 4.

TRISTAN.

The eternal triangle.

EXAMPLES;

Fatal Attraction (man, wife, lunatic), Goodfellas (man, wife, mob) and The Graduate (mother, lover, daughter).

PLOT 5.

CIRCE.

The spider and the fly, which is applicable to a whole host of horror movies and thrillers. A person or persons are pursued by someone or something, some people being bumped off along the way but one person finally triumphing and defeating the pursuer.

EXAMPLES;

The Hitcher (C. Thomas Howell relentlessly pursue by Rutger Hauer), The Terminator (Linda Hamilton hunted by Arnold Schawrzenegger), Dual (a large truck gives Dennis Weaver a hard time) and, of course, all the Alien films.

PLOT 6.

ROMEO AND JULIET.

Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy finds girl again (put these in any order you like).

EXAMPLES;

Grease, Ghost, West Side Story, When Harry Met Sally (etc, etc, etc…..)

PLOT 7.

ORPHEUS.

The gift that is taken away. Most weepies fall into this category, spend about an hour showing how nice a certain person is and than kill them!

EXAMPLES;

Loss of life (Love Story), loss of mobility (Born On The Fourth Of July), loss of everything (Michael Coreone in The Godfather Part II).

PLOT 8.

THE INDOMITABLE HERO.

The hero takes on all comers!

EXAMPLES;

Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Rocky, Die Hard, Gladiator(etc, etc, etc…..)

 

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