Intro to Literature (3)

 

Climax is the highest point of tension or drama in a narratives’ plot. Often, climax is also when the main problem of the story is faced and solved by the main character or protagonist. The phrase climax is derived from the Greek word klimax meaning “ladder.” Reading a story is like climbing a ladder, with the climax at the top.

Examples of Climax

Example 1

A story about a mother and daughter:

• Conflict: A character and her mother are upset with each other. The main character believes she must be an artist, whereas her mother does not support her career and would rather have her be an accountant.
• Climax: The character and her mother have a large argument in which they both state their feelings. At the end of the argument, they agree to love one another despite their disagreements.

Example 2

A story about a Boy and His Dog:

• Conflict: A boy is playing with his rambunctious dog Sadie when she pulls loose from her collar and runs away. Now, the boy must find Sadie before she runs too far away to be found.
• Climax: After looking for Sadie for a while, the boy hears barking from around the house. There, he finds his lost dog and the two happily meet again.

Example 3

A story about a boy’s crush:

• Conflict: Sam has had a crush on Mary for months, but he does not know how to tell her how he feels.
• Climax: At the school dance, Sam makes his feelings for Mary known by asking her to dance.

As can be seen from these short story examples, climax is the most exciting point of the plot when the conflict is finally faced.

The Importance of Using Climax

The climax is a very important part of each work of literature. All literature must contain conflict, and in order to resolve this conflict there must be some moment or event that decides the fates of the characters involved. Without a climax in a work of a literature, the audience would be frustrated to have invested so much time and attention without a payoff. The climax may be an event that the reader is waiting for—a battle that must come, or an inevitable meeting between the protagonist and antagonist. However, the climax also may be an unexpected turn of events after which nothing remains the same.

Conclusion

It may be argued that any composition must have a climax in order to be interesting or compelling. A story without a climax lacks emotion and change, which are the very things we yearn for in art. Climax is an essential element of plot in stories, poems, plays, and numerous other forms.