Wise Women Discuss—Plot!

The 36 Tragic Situations

Though women have been starved of creative opportunities over the centuries of patriarchal bullying, they have proved in one important field that they are not creatively inferior to men—in writing. Adelphiasophists are keen that all people should be creative and that their efforts should be appreciated. If you have been intending to start that novel or screenplay but felt short of ideas, here is the Wise Women's synopsis of plot to give you a few ideas. May the Goddess inspire you. Saviour Shirlie.


5. Flight

This is a translation of Vengeance (and any in which danger pursues a character) into the passive. The major distinction is that in Flight the avenging elements are less important or may be even invisible or abstract. the interest is in the fugitive alone; sometimes innocent—always excusable, for the fault (if there was one) seems to have been inevitable—ordained. We, the audience, do not blame it or inquire after it but sympathetically suffer the consequences with the hero, who, whatever his past faults is now a fellow man in danger. We are all of us capable of committing any crime, so we feel ourselves accomplices in even the worst. Drama allows us to get experience of error and catastrophe in a less costly way than in reality. The sense of isolation which characterises this situation gives a parculiar unity to the action, and a clear field for psychological observation. Famous TV series, The Fugitive.

Elements
  1. The Punishment
  2. A Fugitive
Themes
  1. Fleeing justice
  2. Fleeing for fault of love
  3. A hero fleeing a power (seeking injustice) The Death of Hector; Troilus and Cressida, Shakespeare
  4. A (supposed) madman fleeing a psychologist