Georges Polti's 36 Dramatic Situations

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Georges Polti was a 19th century French writer described 36 situations that may be found in many stories, based on the list identified by Goethe who said it was originated by Italian Carlo Gozzi (1720-1806). Perhaps some of the themes and examples do betray a bias towards the stories of the day, yet they are still very useful stimuli and provide interesting examples of enduring and real human dilemmas.

Here are his 36 situation, including a discussion on each one:

1. Supplication
2. Deliverance
3. Vengeance of a crime
4. Vengeance taken for kindred upon kindred
5. Pursuit
6. Disaster
7. Falling prey to cruelty or misfortune
8. Revolt
9. Daring enterprise
10. Abduction
11. Enigma
12. Obtaining
13. Enmity of kinsmen
14. Rivalry of kinsmen
15. Murderous adultery
16. Madness
17. Fatal imprudence
18. Involuntary crimes of love
19. Slaying of a kinsman unrecognized
20. Self-sacrificing for an ideal
21. Self-sacrifice for kindred
22. All sacrificed for a passion
23. Necessity of sacrificing loved ones
24. Rivalry of superior and inferior
25. Adultery
26. Crimes of love
27. Discovery of the dishonor of a loved one
28. Obstacles to love
29. An enemy loved
30. Ambition
31. Conflict with a god
32. Mistaken jealousy
33. Erroneous judgment
34. Remorse
35. Recovery of a lost one
36. Loss of loved ones

Although this has been taken as definitive by some and Polti initially said there was 'exactly 36 dramatic situations ... and therein we have all the savour of existence', he later admitted that there could be more or less than this (it all depends on your criteria for division). He also said that these aligned with 36 basic emotions, although he did not list these (and has been criticized for this).

See also

Polti, Georges. (1916). The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations. Boston: The Writer, Inc.