Plot

Though plot can commonly be understood through the very simple definition of story line, there are many specific and important aspects of understanding a plot in its entirety, including: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and finally the denouement. The importance of conflict in triggering the rising action is equally important in creating an interesting and effective story for the audience or reader. Both Jane Austen as an author of fiction, and William Shakespeare as a playwright of drama successfully use the complexity of plot to their advantage in portraying their respective tales.

Austen mainly uses plot in a rather indirect and narrative way; the exposition begins in describing a very typical early English family and their issue in dealing with the marriages of their many daughters, thus implementing the basis of her plot. Austen establishes an overriding conflict between Elizabeth and her society to initiate the rising action. The support for this larger conflict comes from two others: the subtle disputes between the protagonist, Elizabeth, and her mother Mrs. Bennet and a quarrelsome relationship between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy which, in turn, becomes the main idea of the novel. Finally, the climax is reached as Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth and is sternly rejected. Continuing on, the climax and falling action are connected with Elizabeth's reading of Mr. Darcy's letters after which she at first becomes innerly conflicted, and then achieves the resolution that is love. Austen's skillful use of a complicated story to enhance each aspect of the plot is uncanny. Additionally, her ability to tell a fluid tale with a multi-dimensional woman as her protagonist gives the plot even more depth.

Shakespeare uses the plot equally as brilliantly while he seems to be more direct and upfront with his approach; placing the audience in the middle of the action. the exposition commences almost on the same lines as a rising action: the death of Hamlet Sr., the simultaneous wedding of Claudius to the Queen, the initiation of Hamlet's grueling anger, and the appearance of the ghost. This throws the audience right into the center of the tragedy. The rising action continues with Hamlet's constant affliction from his surrounding events and conflicting emotion toward the murder he believes he must commit. The climax is most likely reached during the play within a play that Hamlet organizes to complete a task given by his father: the murder of Claudius. With this, Shakespeare gives the audience a satisfying yet riveting scene to focus upon. Finally, it is difficult to say whether a falling action even exists in Hamlet. It can be said that it mixes in, similar to the rising action and exposition, with the resolution. After the deaths of Claudius, Laertes, Gertrude, and Hamlet, the denouement is achieved with an extravagant funeral for the protagonist. Shakespeare allows the audience a chance to take in the story and understand the plot fully with his interesting approach.

Both authors use a fantastic and complex plot to reveal their individual stories. Austen and Shakespeare use complexity within the outer relationships of the protagonists and their inner conflicts as well. The only difference between the two is that Austen's plot follows a more narrative way of delivery, Shakespeare predominantly, uses an interactive technique of plot to convey each piece of his story.