The document outlines the concept of the Karpman Drama Triangle, which describes the dynamics of dysfunctional relationships involving three roles: persecutor, rescuer, and victim. It illustrates how these roles manifest in real-life scenarios, showcasing their destructive nature and the consequences on familial and social interactions. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of recognizing these patterns to break free from toxic relationships and promote healthier communication.

1. by
Col Mukteshwar Prasad(Retd),
MTech(IITD),CE(I),FIE(I),FIETE,FISLE,FInstOD,AMCSI
Contact -9007224278, e-mail –muktesh_prasad@yahoo.co.in
for book ”Decoding Services Selection Board-A Career in Armed Foces As An
Officer” and SSB guidance and training at
Shivnandani Edu and Defence Academy
Drama Triangle
Thanks and grateful to my friend Rajeev Singh for throwing
up the topic and forcing me to make this presentation

2. Story
 Sinhaji is from old Zamindar’s family who had lost their wealth after abolition of
zamindari. Had difficult time growing up in terms finances and facilities .Yet with
God’s grace and probably hard work went on to a reasonably good prestigious Govt
job. His brothers married him to a beautiful girl with a high dowry . The dowry money
was wasted by his brothers and cheated him by selling off his wife’s mangal sutra
also. Part of jewellery was taken away by brother’s wife as well. The lady was
victim and husband’s brother became persecutor and husband tried to be
rescuer by giving solace that it will be paid back . Which never happened.
 As a twist now Sinhaji became persecuter as he could not get back the
jewellery and Children became rescuer by convincing their mother that it was
all gone ,hence no point creating a scene.
 Later son was married to son's choice girl (Though introduced by his father and not
liked by mother) without dowry. They spent considerable amount in solemnising the
marriage . Girl remained attached to her parents and her parents never even
bothered to reciprocate the gesture. To the extent after son’s marriage family never
met .Neither the girl nor the son bothered to smoothen relation. Even Sinhalji
avoided to the extent possible. This was never liked by Sinhaji’s wife and frustration
did show in the form commenting on the face about what was right and not so right
in day to day functioning as she is very conscientious and almost perfectionist. This
was not liked by the girl and complained continuously to her husband . Husband
kept standing by her and blamed mother for all ills. Initially Mother was Persecutor,
daughter in law Victim and Son Rescuer.

3. Background of Drama Triangle
 Stephen B.Karpman M.D. is the creator of the drama
triangle.
 While attending and interacting during seminar of Eric
Berne , creator of the theory of transactional analysis
published ‘Fairy Tales and Script Drama Analysis‘ in
1968.
 Berne said, ‘Write it up and people will be quoting you
for 200 years.’
 The drama triangle won the Eric Berne Memorial
Scientific Award in 1972.
 Forty years later the drama triangle is as useful today as
it was then.
 Concept was almost on the lines of Berne when
proposed that our interaction and communications
 Parental

4. Drama Triangle
 Above story is a classical example of The dreaded
Karpman drama triangle/ ‘Three Faces of the Victim “/
‘Victim Triangle’ which keeps happening around us every day
in our day to day life.
 The Drama Triangle , a social model of human interaction
that maps destructive interaction and shows the 3 roles of
unproductive, intense, and potentially toxic relationships.
 Persecutor,
 Rescuer, and
 Victim (PRV).
 It helps us to initially understand relationships better and know (
social interaction.)
 Whether our relationships are toxic, or not.
 Whether our relationships are reactive and not empowered.

5. Overview of Drama Triangle
 The roles are also described as the two-up and the one-down
roles.
 Persecutor and Rescuer at the top of the triangle, and the victim at
the bottom
 The Triangle can help people adopt roles to break away from
the dreaded drama triangle of conflicted relationships.
 By knowing that
 These roles exist and
 How each role plays a part in the triangle.
 These 3 roles are in relationships that depend on each other.
 Unproductive Relationships drain energies with unhealthy
interactions.
 Either you or some one around you are playing it
 These roles can be played consciously or subconsciously.
 People drama triangle want to meet their needs(may be

7. Home
 An Indian Mother is angry to see her working daughter coming late in
night after work, Father plays rescuer by arguing that office work
necessarily kept her late in the evening and traffic snarls have delayed
her coming
 Mom is shouting at an early adolescent girl for neglecting her studies
and being argumentative. Dad protects her saying she is still a child
and will learn nuance with time. Besides ,by doing so Mom is acting like
a step mother (Father thought).
 Mom is the Persecutor, the son/daughter is the victim and Dad is the Rescuer.
 What follows can either be a continuation of those roles, or possibly a
change of roles where Dad turns on Mom, and their son tries to rescue his
Mom. Everybody switching roles.
 Sas (Mother –in law) in Indian context are seen as persecutor as she
wants her Bahu (daughter in law ) to follow customs /traditions and
many a times to show her superiority as well . Bahu is generally seen
as victim and Son /Father in law as rescuer
 All of us have played one of these roles at some point.
 It is very uncomfortable to admit, yet knowing that you have can be the very
first step towards being happier.
 Each role is unique and comes with its own
 Feelings,
 Sayings,

8. Understanding the 3 Roles Better; Persecutor, Rescuer, and
Victim
 Persecutors- In the examples above, our Persecutors Mom /Sas (Mother in
law)
 The Persecutor’s Role – Angry
 Persecutors might also be called the villain, tormentor, betrayer,
oppressor, or accuser.
 The role of a Persecutor is to blame
 It is a shame-based role – the ‘shadow father principle’.
 Resembling a critical parent.
 They must always be right and by blaming they deny their vulnerability
that they fear becoming a victim themselves.
 They criticise and blame.
 Often Persecutor are victims or faced mental or physical abuse as a child or
in their dealing as a person (e.g Bahu or Beti)
 They may be highly conscientious, rigid in their thought and
behaviour and expect others to be the same. If not they may use
force (Verbal /physical ) to prosecute the victim.
 High expectations from their spouse/wards can also lead to
prosecuting their spouse /wards
 A Persecutor’s ‘job’ is to keep the victim feeling oppressed – being a victim.
 They don’t solve problems
 Their power is used negatively and can be very destructive – ‘I’m Ok
you’re not – I put others down to feel ok’.

9. Understanding the 3 Roles Better; Persecutor, Rescuer, and
Victim
 Victim can rise up if she is strong and has necessary resources or
when Rescuer is strong to protect the victim (e.g. A son leaving his
parental house to protect his spouse from prosecution by his mother or
parents)
 How to Recognise a Persecutor’s Personality
 Disparages other people’s worth
 Persecutes to feel superior
 Discounts others’ value and integrity
 Aggressive
 Angry
 Judgemental
 Critical
 Blaming
 Controlling
 Superior
 Hurts
 The Relationship The Persecutor Seeks Out in the Triangle-Victims
 ( By keeping a victim oppressed they keep themselves as the persecutor.)

10. Understanding the 3 Roles Better; Persecutor, Rescuer, and
Victim
 The Rescuer’s Role – Fear
 The Rescuers save people that he/she believes are vulnerable
and they help without being asked.
 ‘I’m Ok you’re not’ –
 I take on the victim’s responsibilities to feel ok.
 Not my own.’
 Rescuers want to care take other people
 Need is to feel good about themselves
 May neglect themselves or not take responsibility for
their own needs.
 Want to feel valued and there’s no better way than to be a
saviour.
 Belief is that if they take care of others others will reciprocate
same way
 This is born from not having their needs met as a child.

11. Understanding the 3 Roles Better; Persecutor, Rescuer, and
Victim
 Rescuers are
 Overworked, tired, caught, stuck, almost a martyr-type
style,
 Resentment builds beneath the surface.
 Their role is the extreme opposite of the Persecutor.
 May be “ shadow aspect of the mother principle,”
 Instead of support and nurturing they control and
smother, which is a misguided understanding of to
empower.
 They cannot allow the victim to get better or succeed
because the victim would leave the triangle, which would
stop their ability to ‘rescue’.
 Rescuer Sayings
 ‘Let me help you’/‘I can help you’/‘You can’t do it on your
own’/‘Poor you, let me help’/‘if they did what I say, they’d be
happy’.

12. Understanding the 3 Roles Better; Persecutor, Rescuer, and
Victim
 How to Recognise a Rescuer’s Personality
 Disparages other people’s skills
 Helps to feel superior
 Poor you
 Pain reliever
 Discounts others’ ability to think for themselves
 Enabler
 Keeps victim dependent
 Over-helpful
 Self-sacrificing
 Needs to be needed
 Rescues when it is not needed
 Feels guilty if they don’t rescue
 fears not being needed
 Keeps the victim dependent on them
 Discounts that the victim might be able to solve the problem
themselves

13. Understanding the 3 Roles Better; Persecutor, Rescuer, and
Victim
 VictimThe Victim
 The Persecutor and the Rescuer fear the less desirable role
of the Victim.
 Victim’s Sayings and Self-Talk
 ‘Poor me. So unfair’/‘It always happens to me’/‘I never get a
break’.
 To the Rescuer: ‘Only you can help me’.
 The Victim Role – Sadness
 Victims are overwhelmed by their own vulnerability
 Don’t take responsibility for their situation.
 Deny any responsibility for their negative circumstances
 Deny possession of the power to change those
circumstances.
 Victims have a real problem
 Making decisions,
 Solving problems,
 Finding much pleasure in life, or

14. Understanding the 3 Roles Better; Persecutor, Rescuer, and
Victim
 VictimThe Victim
 ‘I’m not ok, you are – I help others to feel ok.’
 This role is a shadow of our wounded inner child.
 The innocent, vulnerable, and needy part of us.
 Crippling dependency on primary relationships.
 Broken and unfixable.
 Eventually, the one-down Victim becomes tired of being
Victim
 Look to level the playing field and seek to a persecutor
(Blaming others) or a rescuer (Helping others).
 How to Recognise a Victim’s Personality
 Disparages oneself
 Avoids responsibilities to feel inferior
 Discounts self
 Powerless
 Hopeless
 Trapped

15. Understanding the 3 Roles Better; Persecutor, Rescuer, and
Victim
 VictimThe Victim…….
 How to Recognise a Victim’s Personality
 Stuck
 Downtrodden
 Helpless
 Complains of unmet needs
 Dejected
 Child behaviour
 Discounts their own ability to solve the problem
 Dream denied