peripety
Noun: A sudden and unexpected reversal of circumstances or fortune, especially as a crucial turning point in the plot of a literary work, such as a play or novel. It is a moment where the protagonist's situation changes dramatically, often to the opposite of what was expected, driving the narrative toward its conclusion.
The term is used primarily in literary analysis and criticism to describe a pivotal structural element in a story. It denotes a single, decisive event that alters the direction of the plot and the fate of the characters. * The play's peripety occurs when the loyal servant reveals he is the true heir to the throne. * Critics often point to the protagonist's arrest as the peripety that transforms the political drama into a personal tragedy.
- Aristotelian Tragedy: In Aristotle's , "peripeteia" (the original Greek term) is defined alongside "anagnorisis" (recognition) as key components of a complex plot, leading to catharsis.
- In classical tragedy, the peripety and the subsequent moment of recognition are what create the emotional power of the drama.
- Beyond Literature: The concept can be applied metaphorically to describe sudden, dramatic reversals in real-life situations, such as in politics, business, or history.
- The sudden market crash was the peripety that ended the company's era of rapid expansion.
- Peripeteia (noun): The original Greek spelling and term, used interchangeably with "peripety."
- Reversal (noun): A more general synonym for a change to an opposite direction, position, or condition.
- Turning Point (noun): A general term for a time at which a decisive change in a situation occurs.
- Reversal
- Turnaround
- Upset
- Sea change
- Stasis
- Continuity
- Predictability
- Plot Twist: A related but broader term for an unexpected development in a story; a peripety is a specific type of plot twist that constitutes a direct reversal of fortune.
- Anagnorisis: The moment of critical discovery or recognition that often accompanies or follows a peripety in a narrative.
- The peripety—his loss of the kingdom—led directly to his anagnorisis, the realization of his own pride.
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a sudden and unexpected change of fortune or reverse of circumstances (especially in a literary work)
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a peripeteia swiftly turns a routine sequence of events into a story worth telling
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