The following summarises the essential detail of the 7 Basic Plots of Literature and offers an example for each of the 7 types of plot.
Plot 1: Overcoming The Monster













Basic format












- Superhuman “evil” exists that must be eliminated
- Form of giant or witch
- Form of ravaging animal
- Could take the form of both
- Threatens the general peace of town village or world
- Reward may be great prizes
- Reward may be a princess
- Hero must confront the Monster
- Generally armed with some “magical” weapons
- Generally happens near monster’s lair (cave, forest, castle, lake)
- Generally happens against great odds against success
- Destruction seems inevitable
- When the hero narrowly escapes death
- Monster is slain
- Universal peace restored













Example of ‘Overcoming The Monster’












BEOWOLF
Story told in three parts
- Young Beowulf against (semi-‐human) Grendel – Monster threatening peace
- Travels from over the sea
- Deals a mortal wound (in a night-‐battle)
- Young Beowulf against Grendel’s Mother – Monster seeking revenge
- Tracks Grendel’s blood to find a bigger battle awaiting
- Battle ensues at bottom of lake
- Beowulf wins: awarded riches and kingdom for 50 years
- Old Beowulf against Dragon
- Dragon guards treasure in underground cave (roused from sleep)
- Awakens and wreaks havoc on Beowulf’s kingdom
- Three battles: Beowulf dies in third battle (poisoned)
Christian Symbolism
- Hero dies, but slays his enemy
- Aided in victory by a helper, who becomes his successor
- The Number 3
- His spirit lies over the land: “soul leaves the body to receive the reward of the ‘just’








Plot 2: Rags To Riches




















Basic format












- Hero/Heroine introduced in childhood
- Living in lowly conditions (poor, isolated)
- Considered lowly and, as of yet, unformed socially, physically
- Live in the shadows of “Dark Figure”
- Adult figures acting as parents
- Antagonists close in age
- Both are scornful, hard-‐hearted, or blind
- “Dark vs. Light”
- Light character is always essentially good
- Light character is generally static – stays the same throughout the story
- Dark figures made uneasy by Light, or they disappear in the story
- Transformation
- Move from inward beauty to outward beauty
- Meet a complimentary figure (male, female)
- Inherit some sort of “Kingdom”
- Basic Crisis
- Low-‐born follows a Call – “newly discovered power/purpose”
- Initial Success: arrives at outward completion – money, wealth, power, fame
- Central Crisis: New (unforeseen crisis) with Dark Figure arises
- Hero/Heroine overcomes crisis to arrive at personal, inner maturity/independence













Example of ‘Rags To Riches’












CINDERELLA
- Daughter of rich man
- Father dies, left to live with stepmother
- Becomes the house’s scrub lady
- Living with Step-‐Mother and Step-‐Sisters
- Mother oppresses her
- Sisters treat her poorly
- Cinderella shows love to animals, who return the love
- Transformation
- The Ball
- Fairy God-‐Mother intervenes
- Becomes most beautiful girl at the ball
- Clock Strikes Twelve
- Garners the prince’s favour
- Chariot dissolves into pumpkin
- Locked into her castle
- Rescued and restored to rightful place of beauty








Plot 3: The Quest




















Basic format












- Destruction Falls
- Hero, who has been seeking peace, is roused
- Hero sets out with companions
- Indistinguishable (tied to purpose)
- One Alter-‐Ego (Faithful to hero, but opposite)
- The Journey
- Succession of near-‐fatal ordeals followed by moments of peace
- Stuck in rough terrain (nature, monsters, temptation)
- Arrival and Frustration
- Arrives with goal in sight
- Encounters new, more terrible obstacles
- Final Ordeals
- Undergoes last set of tests (generally 3)
- Culminates in Last Great Battle
- The Goal
- Nearly misses goal because of terrible danger
- Overcomes through Thrilling Escape from Death
- Peace restored
- Hero gains elevated status
- Life renewed













Example of ‘The Quest’












BRAVEHEART
- Wallace looking for peaceful family life
- Returns home after studying warfare
- Befriends Hamish
- Marries – wife is killed
- Leaves village to confront England
- Stuck in countryside/terrain
- Struggle against the Nobles
- Nobles betray Wallace at Falkirk
- Wallace about to die
- Saved at last minute by Robert the Bruce
- Wallace attacks and kills Nobles
- Faces Queen
- Faces King
- Faces Nobles (finds alter-‐ego in Bruce)
- Goes to York to meet with Nobles
- Defeated (personally)
- Memory of Wallace fuels the fight
- Scotland achieves Freedom








Plot 4: Comedy




















Basic format












- Evolution of Comedy
- Aristophanes – Dominated by two groups of characters
- One dark, rigid, life-‐denying group
- One light, liberation group
- Turn of the Plot = Dark group turned away from obsessions
- New Comedy – Comedy becomes love story
- Resolves the problem of two lovers
- Change of Heart central to resolution
- Recognition must occur before Happy Ending
- Shakespearean Comedy – Tangled love
- Diverse pairing of couples
- Couples serve as contrast
- Summary
- Dark characters imprison light characters
- Characters “discovered” over course of story
- Characters discover who they should pair with?
- All separation is repaired/reconciled
- Aristophanes – Dominated by two groups of characters
- Approaches to Comedy
- General Confusion
- People question who they are
- People question why they are where they are
- People question what they are doing
- Transition between two states
- Twilight – Nothing is seen clearly
- Recognition – Dark figure of story is discovered
- Shadow of Confusion
- Upper Realm: Dark Figures hold power over lesser figures
- Lower Realm: Lives in the Dark Forces’ shadows
- Three Types
- Dark force casts shadows over other characters
- Real Hero lies within shadow of Dark Reign
- Dark Figure exposed, transformed, or eliminated
- Chief Dark Hero is the hero himself
- Wronged Heroine/Hero stands in shadows
- Hero goes through change of heart
- Hero and Heroine Emerge together
- No obvious dark figure
- General misunderstanding becomes the tension
- Truth redeems victims from oppressive circumstances
- Everyone comes to clearer understanding of situation
- Dark force casts shadows over other characters
- General Confusion








Plot 5: Tragedy




















Basic format












- Anticipation Stage
- Hero/Quest is unfulfilled
- Hero sees a course of action
- Dream Stage
- Hero becomes committed to course of action
- Pursuit goes improbably well
- Hero gratified in his effort
- Frustration Stage
- Situation slowly turns
- Leans toward committing “Dark Acts” to carry out duty
- “Shadow Figure” threatens Hero
- Nightmare Stage
- Hero loses control of situation
- Dark Forces close in on him
- Destruction or Death Wish Stage
- Evil forces become aroused
- Final act of violence kills hero
- Divided Self
- The Call seems questionable to reader – not noble
- Hero pursues call because of personal appetites
- Romantic notions
- Undefined longing or sensation
- Hero struggles with call
- Not single-‐minded about obligation
- Hero keeps his dark impulses in check
- Hero leaves comparative safety after lines have been crossed
- Hero overlooks key element before embarking
- Hero becomes increasingly isolated
- Roused from peace out of obligation
- Initially defines mission according to those he helps
- Becomes increasingly detached from community and isolated in his own thoughts
- Becomes increasingly/more deeply ensnared in the Quest
- Comes to destruction








Plot 6: Rebirth




















Basic format












- Three Stages
- The Curse
- Main character inhabits dark, threatening force
- Main character given omen to overcome
- Dark force counteracted by “light” – promise to overcome
- Protection Stage
- Light figures protect against dark forces
- Main figure grows in innocence of curse
- Dark Prophecy comes true
- The Re-birth Stage
- Dark, impenetrable forces maintain oath
- Hero lives in wintery state until helper comes along
- Helper defeats/Light promise takes effect and changes Main Character
- The Curse
- Basic Sequence
- Young hero falls under shadow of dark power
- All goes well; threat seems to be defeated
- Heroes find themselves imprisoned in dark, wintery state
- Stays in dark state until dark power seems triumphant
- Miraculous redemption – by hero, by young woman, by child













Example of ‘Rebirth’












SNOW WHITE
- Six fairies invited to christening; Seventh (malevolent) fairy curse child for not being invited
- Parents hide child; burn spindles; raise her as “Briar Rose”
- Sixteenth birthday comes (curse almost defeated); finds a woman weaving in castle
- Falls asleep in witches castle, fortified by briars, warlocks, dragons
- Prince defeats the enemy to place “true love’s kiss”








Plot7: Voyage And Return




















Basic format












- Three Stages
- Anticipation Stage
- Hero/Heroine Exposed to new reality
- May be bored, drowsy reckless
- May be curious and go looking for alternative reality
- Hero/Heroine pushed out of their limited existence into a world of possibility
- Hero/Heroine Exposed to new reality
- Anticipation Stage
- Dream Stage
- Finds the new experience exhilarating
- Puzzling
- Unfamiliar
- Chooses to make it their home
- Finds the new experience exhilarating
- Frustration Stage
- Introduced to Dark Force that frustrates their happiness
- Dark Shadow continues to intrude
- Nightmare Stage
- Shadow dominates the alternative world
- Grows larger than hero/heroine and entire community
- Thrilling Escape and Return
- Situation becomes impossible
- Leave the “reality” not knowing if it was real or a dream













Example of ‘Voyage And Return’












ALICE IN WONDERLAND
- Alice lives “in her own world”, filled with fascination
- Alice falls into Rabbit Hole
- Meets the Rabbit and gets swept into fantastic journey
- Meets the Queen Hearts
- Returns back home, not sure if she had been napping