Home > The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations

Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations is also the name of a book by Polti with extended explanations, examples, and variations on this list. An English translation of this book was reprinted in 2003.

The 36 Situations

1. Supplication
   • a Persecutor; a Supplicant; a Power in authority, whose decision is doubtful.
2. Deliverance
   • an Unfortunate; a Threatener; a Rescuer
3. Crime pursued by vengeance
   • an Avenger; a Criminal
4. Vengeance taken for kin upon kin
   • an Avenging Kinsman; Guilty Kinsman; remembrance of the Victim; a Relative of both
5. Pursuit
   • Punishment; a Fugitive
6. Disaster
   • a Vanquished Power; a Victorious Enemy or a Messenger
7. Falling prey to cruelty/misfortune
   • an Unfortunate; a Master or a Misfortune
8. Revolt
   • a Tyrant; a Conspirator
9. Daring enterprise
   • a Bold Leader; an Object; an Adversary
10. Abduction
    • an Abductor; the Abducted; a Guardian
11. The enigma
    • an Interrogator; a Seeker; a Problem
12. Obtaining
    • (a Solicitor & an Adversary who is refusing) or (an Arbitrator & Opposing Parties)
13. Enmity of kin
    • a Malevolent Kinsman; a Hatred or a reciprocally-hating Kinsman
14. Rivalry of kin
    • the Preferred Kinsman; the Rejected Kinsman; the Object of Rivalry
15. Murderous adultery
    • two Adulterers; a Betrayed Spouse
16. Madness
    • a Madman; a Victim
17. Fatal imprudence
    • the Imprudent; a Victim or an Object Lost
18. Involuntary crimes of love
    • a Lover; a Beloved; a Revealer
19. Slaying of kin unrecognized
    • the Slayer; an Unrecognized Victim
20. Self-sacrifice for an ideal
    • a Hero; an Ideal; a Creditor or a Person/Thing sacrificed
21. Self-sacrifice for kin
    • a Hero; a Kinsman; a Creditor or a Person/Thing sacrificed
22. All sacrificed for passion
    • a Lover; an Object of fatal Passion; the Person/Thing sacrificed
23. Necessity of sacrificing loved ones
    • a Hero; a Beloved Victim; the Necessity for the Sacrifice
24. Rivalry of superior v. inferior
    • a Superior Rival; an Inferior Rival; the Object of Rivalry
25. Adultery
    • two Adulterers; a Deceived Spouse
26. Crimes of love
    • a Lover; the Beloved
27. Discovery of the dishonour of a loved one
    • a Discoverer; the Guilty One
28. Obstacles to love
    • two Lovers; an Obstacle
29. An enemy loved
    • a Lover; the Beloved Enemy; the Hater
30. Ambition
    • an Ambitious Person; a Thing Coveted; an Adversary
31. Conflict with a god
    • a Mortal; an Immortal
32. Mistaken jealousy
    • a Jealous One; an Object of whose Possession He is Jealous; a Supposed Accomplice; a Cause or an Author of the Mistake
33. Erroneous judgement
    • a Mistaken One; a Victim of the Mistake; a Cause or Author of the Mistake; the Guilty One
34. Remorse
    • a Culprit; a Victim or the Sin; an Interrogator
35. Recovery of a lost one
    • a Seeker; the One Found
36. Loss of loved ones
    • a Kinsman Slain; a Kinsman Spectator; an Executioner