Georges Polti

The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations

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Georges Polti develops the idea that a limited number of fundamental situations can generate an infinite variety of stories. He identifies thirty-six of them, each defined by specific forces, roles, and tensions: revenge, rivalry, sacrifice, pursuit, supplication, family conflict, and more. Drawing on examples from theatre, novels, folktales, and history, he shows how these situations can be varied, combined, and tr…

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