The document discusses narrative theory, focusing on Todorov’s and Freytag’s approaches to storytelling, highlighting their structures, applications, and criticisms. While Todorov's theory presents a simpler, linear narrative applicable to modern media, Freytag’s more complex structure, though historically significant, is often deemed outdated for contemporary texts. Both theories share similarities in narrative progression but differ in their applicability to various genres.

1. Introduction
Narrative Theory is the study of stories and how they work.
Every media text has a narrative, even still images.
We will be looking at Todorov’s Theory and Freytag’s
Dramatic Structure, applying them to existing texts and
comparing their differences and similarities.

2. Todorov’s Theory
Todorov’s narrative theory is the most simplest and is
often termed as the ‘classic’ narrative as it is so often
used in media products.
The theory consists of the basic narrative structure for
every story.
He believed that all films begin with equilibrium (a state of
calm). However this is then disrupted by some agent or
action, meaning that the narrative descends into
disequilibrium (a state of unsettlement).
This is then recognised and an attempt to repair this
disruption happens.
Equilibrium is then renewed for the protagonists, as new
equilibrium brings the chaotic disequilibrium to an end.

3. This theory can be applied to many mainstream Hollywood films
including…

4. Todorov’s Theory Criticism
• Todorov’s theory can be seen as too basic
• It perhaps ignores the more complex concepts
surrounding narrative such as Freytag who explores
narrative in more depth.
• Another big problem with his theory is that many
modern texts are far more complicated than this
simplistic concept which is duw to producers trying to
keep things fresh so audiences won’t get bored.
• Many postmodern texts will also mix up from this linear
narrative to look at a narrative in a different way.

5. Freytag's Theory
Gustav Freytag was a 19th Century German Dramatist and
Novelist. His is perhaps the most basic narrative theory. His
theory is divided into five parts; Exposition, Rising Action,
Climax, Falling Action and Dénouement/Catastrophe/
Resolution. This theory is also known as Freytag’s Triangle,
as shown in the diagram above.

6. Applying Freytag's Theory to
Existing Texts
Many texts take on this narrative structure; however
postmodern texts do not. Freytag’s theory would mean a
story is told in chronological order, and many postmodern
texts challenge this. Here are some examples of texts that
follow Freytag’s theory;
Climax/Turning point is when Othello
decides to kill Desdemona
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Beginning- incentive movement = Othello and Desdemona’s The end or resolution is
marriage. Causes downplayed and effects stressed= We don’t when Othello then kills
see the wedding, just the effect that the news has on himself.
Desdemona’s father and other characters.

7. Beginning-everyone’s on the ship happily.
Rising action-development of relationship
between Rose and Jack.
Climax-the boat crashing into the iceberg.
Falling action-rescue boats come out, people
die, Rose survives.
Resolution-We find out that the search for the
necklace at the beginning was fruitless - Rose
had the necklace all along.
Beginning-Holmes and Watson, everything is
normal.
Rising action-When they have to investigate
Lord Blackwood, he “rises from the dead”.
Climax- Blackwood gassing everyone, Holmes
and Watson figure out what’s going on, big
fight between Holmes and Blackwood.
Falling action- Holmes kills Blackwood on the
bridge, everything goes back to normal
Resolution-Holmes finally tells Watson what
he had found out.

8. Criticisms of
Freytag's Theory
“Freytag, an empiricist, like Aristotle in a larger measure,
undertook, at the close of an era in the moral and aesthetic
history of mankind, to fit a dramatic theory to ideas that had
already received their cues for their final exits.” Freytag's theory
of the drama, as well as his plays, were outdated by the end of the
nineteenth century.

9. Freytag’s theory was based on drama and plays in the nineteenth century,
and its true that his basic theory of narrative structure isn’t present in many
modern texts, and therefore his theory is outdated. However, I think many
films can be linked with Freytag’s theory, albeit very loosely, because a
number of media texts do follow the idea of a beginning, rising action,
climax, falling action and a resolution, but modern texts tend to add
complications to this theory to make the text more interesting; for example
they might have rising action and then an anticlimax to create suspense and
interest.
e.g.
There is definitely an obvious beginning as
well as rising action, a climax and falling
action in Hanna, but with subtle differences
to make the text more interesting.

10. Applying Todorov’s theory
applied to our products…
My music video begins with a flashback sequence which
signifies the equilibrium of the relationship and then
fades into disequilibrium as it becomes clear that they
have broken up. By the end of the video the female
protagonist is happy and confident on her own, thus new
equilibrium is established.
Equilibrium Disequilibrium New Equilibrium

11. Similarities and
Differences
Both theories are quite basic, and they both rely on a linear, chronological
narrative. Todorov’s is more basic, but Freytag’s theory is much older and
was applied to drama and plays as opposed to modern day films and TV.
Therefore, Todorov’s theory is much easier to apply to modern media texts.
They are both quite similar, in that they explain that there is a beginning, a
climax and a resolution. We found that it was easier to apply Todorov’s
theory to films and TV shows than it was to apply Freytag’s because
Todorov’s theory is so basic that it can be applied to many genres and types
of film, whereas Freytag’s is slightly more specific and doesn’t allow for
possibilities like an anti-climax which is something a lot of films have.