I'm doing a summer reading assignment on 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', and one of the questions says to use a nine point plot structure to outline the action in this play. My question is: WHAT THE HECK IS A NINE-POINT PLOT STRUCTURE? (And if any of you do know, can you please obviously tell me what it is, and can you also give me an example.)

Many thanks to anyone who can help me!

I'm doing a summer reading assignment on 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', and one of the questions says to use a nine point plot structure to outline the action in this play. My question is: WHAT THE HECK IS A NINE-POINT PLOT STRUCTURE? >

A plot structure is a way to tell the story, as if the story is seen through one set of eyes. Shakespeare uses here four plot levels, and on each level we see the story through different eyes, for a total of nine ways the story is told.
Look at the story as seen in the wedding plot, the story of the lovers plot, the fairies, and the mechanics (Bottom, Quince and company)efforts.
The grouping and tying in of these plots into one thread is the total plot structure. Of such stuff great plays and novels, and even stories are told.

Thank you very much!

What is a nine point plot structure outline?

Don't mind me im just looking at some old questions. It's fun surfing through the archives! So sorry your question wasn't answered though.

that sucks

A nine-point plot structure is a method of outlining a story or play that identifies nine key moments or plot points that drive the narrative forward. These points help structure the story and provide a framework for understanding the overall arc of the plot. Here is an example of a nine-point plot structure outline for "A Midsummer Night's Dream":

1. Introduction: The play opens with the preparations for the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta, setting the stage and introducing the main characters and their relationships.

2. Inciting Incident: The conflict is introduced when Hermia is forced to choose between marrying Demetrius, as her father wishes, or facing death or a life in a convent. This sets the events of the play into motion.

3. Rising Action: The lovers' plot begins as Hermia and Lysander decide to elope, and Helena reveals this plan to Demetrius in hopes of gaining his affection. The complications arise when Puck mistakenly uses a love potion on Lysander and then on Demetrius, causing their affections to shift and creating chaos among the lovers.

4. Climax: The climax occurs in the enchanted forest when all the characters converge and become entangled in misunderstandings and mistaken identities. This reaches a peak when the four lovers encounter each other, leading to confusion and conflict.

5. Falling Action: The conflicts are resolved as Oberon instructs Puck to use the antidote on the lovers, restoring their true affections. Demetrius also begins to show genuine love for Helena, bringing resolution to their complicated relationship.

6. Subplot Conclusion: The subplot involving the mechanicals and their preparations for a play reaches its conclusion when they perform their absurd version of "Pyramus and Thisbe" at the wedding celebrations, providing comic relief and adding to the overall resolution of the play.

7. Resolution of the Wedding Plot: Theseus and Hippolyta are married, and the tensions surrounding the lovers' plot and the fairy world are resolved, bringing a sense of harmony and order.

8. Resolution of the Fairy World: Oberon and Titania reconcile, and the fairy world returns to peace and balance.

9. Conclusion: The play ends with the final soliloquy by Puck, in which he acknowledges the dreamlike nature of the events and asks the audience to consider the play as nothing more than a fantastical vision.

By following this nine-point plot structure, you can analyze the important moments in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and gain a deeper understanding of the play's overall narrative structure and themes.