Literary expression referring to an increasing tempo of events in a narrative or story line. The increasing action in the narrative adds excitement, and is often used as a form of dramatic technique to raise the suspense. This is a common literary device, but it's also an important part of some of the greatest books and movies ever written. The technique of drawing together story elements into a climactic finale is the hallmark of good storytelling. |
Examples of Rising Action:
Jack London: White Fang and the camp dogs Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet death scene Charles Dickens: David Copperfield and the confrontation with Uriah Heep https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rising_action |
![]() Freytag's pyramid, which illustrates dramatic structure. The rising action is on the ascending left side of the pyramid. |