Act 2 Play Analysis

Linear stories are generally told as a progression through three acts. The progression of these acts is formally known as the three act structure. The three act structure is a well-known and used model that divides a fictional narrative into three parts or acts; the setup, the confrontation and the resolution often known as the beginning, middle and end. “A story is composed of parts- characters, plot, action, dialogue, scenes, sequences, incidents, events- and you, as a writer must organise these parts into a whole, with a definite shape and for, complete with beginning, middle and end.” (Field, 2008, p. 28). Syd Field has being teaching the structure of screenplay for many years and understands the major role in which it plays for writing

27). Act 2 is also known as the act of confrontation, there are more believable complications and additional obstacles that quickly escalate the crisis or inciting incident of act 1 and the antagonist plays a key role in these obstacles. There are several components in Act 2 which is one of the reasons that it is the longest act. Act 2 is made up of pinch point one, mid-point, pinch point two and the second plot point. Pinch points are small turning points in the screenplay/film that move it along slightly before we reach midpoints or plot points. For example in Monsters Inc. (2001) the first pinch point is a turning point in the first half of act 2 as Sully and Mike disguise Boo as Mikes cousin as they try and return her to the human world before her door is destroyed. When they arrive in Monsters Incorporated it is full of CDA agents in search of the ‘human’ who has escaped and the people who are responsible for letting this happen. This pinch point has bumped up the storyline as the antagonist of the story Randall is also on the hunt for who let the human out through the door making things more complicated for Sully, Mike and Boo. The antagonist plays a major role in act 2 as they add to the drama and conflict the protagonist must face and

This is the act where the main character the protagonist must make their final choice, or achieves or fails in his or her final goal and the plot must be resolved. (Dancyger, 2013, p. 10) Act 3 is usually the shortest act of all three but should also be the fastest as it is a build to the most dramatic point in the story known as the climax where the protagonist must face the conflict or any obstacles they have come up against. “Will the protagonist succeed in solving his/her problem or will he/she succumb and be crushed and destroyed?” (Portnoy, 1991, p. 14). So many questions are left to be answered in act 3 and the audience wait in suspense to see will they be resolved within the climax and resolution. Act 3 builds up to the most dramatic part of the film the climax, for example in Monsters Inc. the climactic moment is one that keeps the audience on their feet. Sully and Mike snatch Boo and race to find her door in the labyrinthine interior of the factory where all the door are kept. They unmask Mr.Waternoose for the villain he truly is and Boo is tucked back into bed safely. The climax differs from one screenplay to another, some writers might opt for an upsetting mood changer climax or an action packed climax whilst Monsters Inc. climax is uplifting and leaves the audience with a sense of happiness for the