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In literature
Literature

Literature is the art of written works. Literally translated, the word means "acquaintance with letters" . In Western culture the most basic written literary types include fiction and non-fiction....
, a dénouement (IPA:) consists of a series of events that follow the climax
Climax (narrative)

The climax or turning point of a narrative work is its point of highest tension or drama in which the solution is given....
 of a drama or narrative, and thus serves as the conclusion of the story. Conflict
Conflict

Conflict is a part of discord caused by the actual or perceived opposition of needs, Value s and interests. A conflict can be internal or external ....
s are resolved, creating normality for the characters and a sense of catharsis
Catharsis

Catharsis is a Ancient Greek word meaning "purification", "cleansing" or "clarification." It is derived from the infinitive verb of Transliteration as kathairein "to purify, purge," and adjective katharos "pure or clean."...
, or release of tension and anxiety, for the reader. Etymologically
Etymology

Etymology is the study of the roots and history of words; and how their form and meaning have changed over time.In languages with a long detailed history, etymology makes use of philology, the study of how words change from culture to culture over time....
, the French word dénouement is derived from the Old French word denoer, "to untie", and from nodus, Latin for "knot." Simply put, dénouement is the unraveling or untying of the complexities of a plot.

The dénouement comprises events after the climax and the falling action
Falling action

The Falling action is the part of a story, usually found in tragedy and short story, following the Climax and showing the effects of the climax....
 (which should not be confused with dénouement).

A good example of dénouement is the final scene of Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It
As You Like It

As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623....
: couples marry, an evildoer repents, two disguised characters are revealed for all to see, and a ruler is restored to power.






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In literature
Literature

Literature is the art of written works. Literally translated, the word means "acquaintance with letters" . In Western culture the most basic written literary types include fiction and non-fiction....
, a dénouement (IPA:) consists of a series of events that follow the climax
Climax (narrative)

The climax or turning point of a narrative work is its point of highest tension or drama in which the solution is given....
 of a drama or narrative, and thus serves as the conclusion of the story. Conflict
Conflict

Conflict is a part of discord caused by the actual or perceived opposition of needs, Value s and interests. A conflict can be internal or external ....
s are resolved, creating normality for the characters and a sense of catharsis
Catharsis

Catharsis is a Ancient Greek word meaning "purification", "cleansing" or "clarification." It is derived from the infinitive verb of Transliteration as kathairein "to purify, purge," and adjective katharos "pure or clean."...
, or release of tension and anxiety, for the reader. Etymologically
Etymology

Etymology is the study of the roots and history of words; and how their form and meaning have changed over time.In languages with a long detailed history, etymology makes use of philology, the study of how words change from culture to culture over time....
, the French word dénouement is derived from the Old French word denoer, "to untie", and from nodus, Latin for "knot." Simply put, dénouement is the unraveling or untying of the complexities of a plot.

The dénouement comprises events after the climax and the falling action
Falling action

The Falling action is the part of a story, usually found in tragedy and short story, following the Climax and showing the effects of the climax....
 (which should not be confused with dénouement).

A good example of dénouement is the final scene of Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It
As You Like It

As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623....
: couples marry, an evildoer repents, two disguised characters are revealed for all to see, and a ruler is restored to power. Many of Shakespeare's dramas end in this manner, as do other classical plays. Indeed, dénouement is considered part of the classical dramatic structure.

The Penultimate Peril
The Penultimate Peril

The Penultimate Peril is the twelfth novel in the book series A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket....
, the twelfth and penultimate book in Lemony Snicket
Lemony Snicket

Lemony Snicket is a pseudonym used by author Daniel Handler in his book series A Series of Unfortunate Events, as well as a character in that series....
's Series of Unfortunate Events,
A Series of Unfortunate Events

A Series of Unfortunate Events is a Children's literature book series of thirteen novels written by Lemony Snicket, and illustrated by Brett Helquist....
 heavily emphasizes dénouement as a plot point e.g. the character Dewey Denouement, the Hotel Denouement.

Some works have no dénouement, often because of a quick or surprise ending (e.g. Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies is an Allegory novel by Nobel Prize for Literature-winning author William Golding. It discusses how culture created by man fails, using as an example a group of United Kingdom school-boys stuck on a desert island who try to govern themselves with disastrous results....
).

See also

  • Catastrophe (drama)
    Catastrophe (drama)

    In drama, particularly the tragedies of classical antiquity, the catastrophe is the final resolution in a poem or narrative plot, which unravels the intrigue and brings the piece to a close....
  • Detective denouement
    Detective denouement

    The detective d?nouement is a variant on the literature d?nouement common to mystery stories. It was first popularised by the Sherlock Holmes novels, but is present in many stories, such as the works of Agatha Christie or in Ellen Raskin's young adult novel The Westing Game....
  • Dramatic structure
    Dramatic structure

    Dramatic structure is the plot structure of a dramatic work such as a Play or screenplay. Many scholars have analyzed dramatic structure, beginning with Aristotle in his Poetics ....
  • Peripeteia
    Peripeteia

    Peripeteia is a reversal of circumstances, or turning point. The term is primarily used with reference to works of literature. The English form of peripeteia is peripety....
  • Slice of Life Story
    Slice of life story

    A slice of life story is a category for a story that portrays a "cut-out" sequence of events in a character's life. It may or may not contain any plot progress and little character development, and often has no exposition, conflict, or denouement, with an open ending....