Ajay Kumar at 14:11, 7 September 2023

2023-09-07T14:11:16Z

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{{Short description|Point of highest tension in narrative}}
{{Redirect|Turning point||Turning Point (disambiguation){{!}}Turning Point}}
{{refimprove|date=December 2007}}
[[File:Vincenzo Camuccini - La morte di Cesare.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Death of Caesar, the climax of [[Shakespeare]]'s play, ''[[Julius Caesar (play)|Julius Caesar]]'']]

The '''climax''' ({{etymology|grc|''{{wiktgrc|κλῖμαξ}}'' ({{grc-transl|κλῖμαξ}})|staircase, ladder}}) or '''turning point''' of a [[narrative|narrative work]] is its point of highest tension and drama, or it is the time when the action starts during which the solution is given.<ref Name="Herrick">{{cite book |first1=Robert|last1=Herrick |first2=Lindsay Todd|last2=Damon |title=Composition and Rhetoric for Schools |publisher=[[Scott Foresman|Scott, Foresman and Co.]] |year=1902 |location=Original from [[Harvard University]] |page=382 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XwABAAAAYAAJ&q=Climax+(narrative)+-wikipedia&pg=PA382}}</ref><ref Name="Fletcher">{{cite book |first1=Jefferson Butler|last1=Fletcher |first2=George Rice|last2=Carpenter |title=Introduction to Theme-writing |publisher=[[Allyn & Bacon]] |year=1893 |location=Original from [[Harvard University]] |page=84 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dP0AAAAAYAAJ&q=Climax+(narrative)+-wikipedia&pg=PA84}}</ref> The climax of a story is a [[literary element]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Climax |url=https://literaryterms.net/climax |website=Literary Terms |date=26 March 2015}}</ref>

== Examples ==
The [[punch line]] of a [[joke]] is an analogy for the climax of a fictional narrative, though the absence of any [[falling action]] is an essential difference, which may reflect the nature of [[humor]] as opposed to the nature of [[drama]].

In non-fictional narrative [[genre]]s, even though the author does not have the same freedom to control the action and "plot" as in works of fiction, the selection of subject matter, degree of detail, and emphasis permit an author to create similar structures, i.e., to construct a dramatization.

In the play ''[[Hippolytus (play)|Hippolytus]]'', by Greek playwright [[Euripides]], the climax arrives when [[Phaedra (mythology)|Phaedra]] hears [[Hippolytus of Athens|Hippolytus]] react badly because of her love for him. That is the moment that [[Aphrodite]]'s curse is finally fulfilled, and it is the turning point of the play.

== {{anchor|Anti-climax}} Anticlimax ==
An anticlimax is a situation in a plot in which something which would appear to be difficult to solve is solved through something trivial. For example, destroying a heavily guarded facility would require advanced technology, teamwork, and weaponry for a climax, but for an anticlimax, it may just require pushing a red button which reads, "Emergency Self-Destruct", or simply filling out an eviction notice and destroying the building. An example is the ending of ''[[The War of the Worlds]]'', where amidst the chaos of the [[Extraterrestrial life|extraterrestrial]] takeover of planet [[Earth]], the aliens are defeated by the most unexpected organism: the [[common cold]] virus. Another example could involve the [[protagonist]] faced with insurmountable odds and ultimately being killed without accomplishing his goal, despite what appears to be a turning point for the character.

The ''[[deus ex machina]]'' is a form of anticlimax, where an unseen and completely unrelated outside influence enters the story and solves the central problem.

== See also ==
* [[Dramatic structure]]
* [[Literary element]]
* [[Climax (figure of speech)|Climax as a rhetorical device]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Fiction writing}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Climax (Narrative)}}
[[Category:Narratology]]
[[Category:Fiction]]
[[Category:Plot (narrative)]]

Climax narrative - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 14:11, 7 September 2023