What does climax mean in literature? What is a climax

Everyone knows that the climax is the most intense moment of the work, which requires special attention from the viewer. It is found exclusively in all forms of literary creativity, from the simplest sayings to large forms of prose. The presence of this aspect in the work is inevitable, otherwise the reader's interest will be lost.

Description

Climax is the highest point of tension, which shows the essence of the problem and ways to solve it. In small literary forms, there is often only one intriguing episode, which is usually found at the end. These are easy-to-understand stories, parables, fables and the like. A striking example is the climax of a fairy tale. We take any story from a children’s book, for example “Cinderella,” and look for the decisive moment there. Of course, the most interesting thing for a child will be to read about how the evil stepmother found out that the mysterious guest at the ball is Cinderella, who is now marrying the prince.

Fairytale elements

Arabic tales have several climaxes, since they consist of different chapters. An example is Sinbad the Sailor. In each of his seven journeys there were previous events, their denouement and outcome, which was always happy. The plot is simple, but there are many tense moments; while reading this work, we understand that every time the climax is the way home, which Sinbad will be able to find during his next voyage.

Complex climaxes

In works of large form, as a rule, there are many climaxes. In a story, there can be several leading storylines that intertwine with each other, and each of them must have its own climax and events preceding it. The destinies of the heroes are intertwined, during which one solution to a problem can become the basis for the emergence of a new plot. As an example, let us take Bulgakov’s work “The Master and Margarita”. It is safe to say that in this case the climax is the entire novel. Here the disappearance of the outfits in which the ladies were dressed in the theater is replaced by a scene of Margarita’s experiences, which lead her to meet Azazello. And Professor Woland’s journey to Moscow leads to the fact that the Master frees from all sins someone who has sat in his chair for more than one millennium.

Conclusion

It is believed that for the reader it is the moments of the climax that are the most interesting. Therefore, authors often stretched out decisive events into chapters, forcing us to turn pages one after another in search of answers to all the questions that previously interested us. As a result, the climax may be unexpected, with many contradictory facts. Such works are called non-standard, the most interesting and exciting. If the plot comes to its logical end, then reading such a book is simple and accessible. It is ideal for those who often fly on planes or travel on trains.

We can say that the climax in literature is the most interesting moment of the work. He reveals to us all the secrets and shows the true faces of the heroes. And if something seemed incomprehensible to you, it means that this was intended by the author. Think of such books as mysteries that no one can solve.

- (new lat., from lat. culmen top). 1) the passage of a star through the meridian. 2) the highest point of the celestial body above the horizon. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. CLIMAX 1) the passage of a star through... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

climax- and, f. culmination f., German Culmination lat. culmen (culminis) top. 1. astr. Passing through the celestial meridian. Sl. 18. Compose the culmination of the sun, moon and planets. MAN 10 559. Upper climax. Lower climax. BAS 1. 2. trans.… … Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

climax- top, peak, crown, apogee, zenith; highest point, point, highest level Dictionary of Russian synonyms. culmination see highest point Dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language. Practical guide. M.: Russian language. Z.E... Synonym dictionary

CLIMAX Modern encyclopedia

CLIMAX- CLIMAX, in astronomy, the passage of one of the inner planets, Mercury or Venus, through the solar disk. The culmination of Mercury occurs every 13 years, Venus every 100 years. The term also denotes the passage of any celestial body through... ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary

Climax- (from Latin culmen, genitive case culminis apex), 1) the point of highest tension, rise, development of something. 2) In astronomy, the passage of luminaries through the celestial meridian. They distinguish between the upper culmination, when the sun is close to the zenith, and... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

CLIMAX- (from lat. culmen gen. p. culminis apex), 1) the point of highest tension, rise, development of something. 2) In astronomy, the passage of luminaries through the celestial meridian. There is an upper culmination (M), when the luminary is closer to the zenith (Z), and a lower one (M), ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

CLIMAX- CLIMAX, climax, women. (lat. culminatio) (book). 1. The passage of a star through the meridian (astro.). 2. transfer The point of highest ascent, highest tension. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

CLIMAX- CLIMAX, and, women. 1. The passage of a luminary through the celestial meridian (special). 2. The point of highest tension, rise, development of something. (book) K. events. | adj. climactic, oh, oh. K. moment. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu.... ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

CLIMAX- luminaries, astrakh. the transition and the moment of passage of the luminary through the noon of the place; reaching the greatest height. Climax, roll through the meridian. Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary. IN AND. Dahl. 1863 1866 … Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

CLIMAX- (Culmination) the passage of any luminary through the midday or midnight part of the observer’s meridian. Upper K. the passage of any luminary through the midday part of the observer’s meridian. Lower K. the passage of every luminary through the midnight ... ... Marine Dictionary

Books

• Climax of Passion, Katherine Mann. Broderick and Glenna are scions of rival families who hold major positions in the family business. But on the verge of a sudden merger of two companies, they have to start working together - and... Buy for 71 rubles
• Climax of Passion, Mann K. Broderick and Glenna are scions of rival families who hold major positions in the family business. But on the verge of a sudden merger of two companies, they have to start working together - and...

Many aspiring writers are concerned about the question of what a climax is in literature. This is the very cornerstone on which the fate of the work depends. Will it be able to intrigue the reader, will it live for centuries or will it flash with a weak spark and sink into oblivion?

What works of literature have a climax?

It is precisely where there is a conflict, its development, that is, a storyline, that there is necessarily a climax. In literature, these are stories, short stories, novellas, plays, novels, and sometimes poetry, for example, ballads, poems, fables.

In other types of genres, its presence may be inappropriate or undesirable. These include lyric poems, essays, sketches, descriptions, essays, and some types of articles, for example, critical or selling ones. Although there are exceptions always and everywhere. But in any case, no matter what type of work it is, no matter what genre it is written in, the presence of a climax requires the presence of a conflict, its development.

Can poetry have a climax?

This is a rather controversial point in the literature. After all, the storyline is not observed everywhere. For example, poetry of the 19th century. It was believed that it could not have a plot in any way. Lyrical poems usually described exclusively the experiences and internal struggle of the hero, glorifying nature and female beauty.

The turning point was the publication of A. S. Pushkin’s novel, which he wrote in verse. And in it, of course, there is a conflict that develops, reaches its apogee, that is, a climax occurs. In literature, this was the first experience of writing a novel in verse. However, it was received with a bang by readers.

Today this trend has many followers. In modern poetry, there are a huge number of works where conflict, its development and culmination take place. Examples in twentieth century literature are:

What is a climax?

The development of the plot in the work is provoked by conflict. It grows, old relationships become impossible. This can happen both in external events and at the level of the spiritual inner life of the heroes. And then comes this turning point - a revolution in the hero’s consciousness or an action, an event that changes everything around.

So, what is a climax in literature? The definition of this part of the work will be quite simple. The moment when a conflict situation reaches its highest point, its peak of development, is considered to be the climax. After all, this word itself is already translated as “peak.”

One of Guillaume Musso's heroes came up with a witty answer to the question of what a climax is in literature. The definition in short is this: it is the point of no return. And in fact, this turning point is the boundary that must be crossed. After it comes a new countdown of an absolutely changed being or consciousness.

“A touching story about a boy and a dog” clearly demonstrates the presence of a climax. This work tells how Dimka, who selflessly loves dogs, becomes disabled. The mother, who had previously been opposed to keeping a dog in the house, decides to take this serious step. The climax comes when the baby buries his face in the puppy's fluffy fur and laughs cheerfully for the first time since the injury. And his mother sternly tells him: “You promised that you would raise the dog yourself. It's time to keep your promise!"

And now the reader is transported through the years ahead. Not a boy, but a young man, limping, walks next to the aged dog, carefully watching him - what if he needs help? Dima understands that once upon a time it was this animal that forced the baby to get out of his wheelchair.

Scheme of constructing a plot literary work

Each plot consists of an exposition, a plot, a climax and a denouement. The classical construction should be exactly like this, the parts are in the marked sequence.

However, today authors are quite free with the rules once established by the classics. Today, the climax quite successfully plays the role of an introduction, intriguing the reader at the very beginning. However, even in this case, a denouement following it is necessary. Therefore, at the end of the work the writer returns to the climax. And in those rare cases when the author gives the reader the opportunity to think of the ending options himself, the climax is a stunning final chord.

He runs as fast as he can, a little more and he will be able to reach his opponent, there are still meters left to a crushing victory. Sweat runs down the boy's forehead, his legs hurt, but his willpower forces him to scream and overtake his opponent and cross such a line first.

You feel some tension, excitement for the hero, right? This move is present in almost all works of art, and is called the Climax.

Climax is the extreme point of tension, the peak of the entire story and the turning point event that contributes to the achievement of the goal, or catastrophic failure.

Starting from the elementary grades, the teacher begins to introduce children to this concept with the help of some leading questions:

• What did you like most about the story?
• When were you most excited about a character?
• What part of the story do you remember most?

An adult understands that we are talking about a climax, but children present this in the form of a simple explanation - the moment of the highest experience. However, the question arises: what is the climax? In literature, this word denotes the highest tension and the intersection of all storylines at one point with a further result influencing each key character. This component is easily visible in all Russian works.

Climax: meaning

It is almost impossible to reliably study the emergence of this concept. Many scientists believe that the culmination comes from the ancient Latin language, others argue that the roots must be sought in Greece.

However, few believe, but this is the most likely hypothesis, that the climax has many sources of development. The first time you need to talk about this is during the appearance of drawings on the walls of caves. They also contain a small story, where the peak of tension is shown at the right moment. That is, even before the advent of writing, such a concept existed. It was not quoted or designated in any way. On a subconscious level, when creating drawings, ancient people tried to first prepare the person, and then only tell about the hottest moment. And this without having a language. For example, cavemen gathered in a group. They drove the mammoth to a dead end. And they caught him. Everyone was happy. Each sentence represents a certain stage of development:

1. Start.
2. Development of events.
3. Climax.
4. Denouement.

This was all visible in the sequence of drawings in the caves.

There are theories that the climax first appeared in the works of Homer and his Iliad and Odyssey. They clearly show where the most exciting points were present. However, due to the lack of structure, such climaxes could be observed at any point in the stories. No one argues that one work can have several climactic moments, they all must be in the right places, it will be difficult to read.

In Russian it is much easier to define this most important stage of excitement than in others. Due to the simplicity of presentation and lightness of style.

Sometimes, after a hard day at work, you want to relax and read the last few chapters of another book. However, after the last word you are left perplexed: “It seems like the end, but something is missing”.

Similar problems have been seen many times. Books of this kind were called bad, due to the absence of this very boiling point. However, if you dig a little deeper, a different picture emerges. From a fiction perspective, there is always a climax. If the reader did not notice it, this is a problem in the previous stages. In order for a person to be able to feel all the tensions of the main events of the written story, it is important to start correctly and competently, that is, to introduce the characters. If the reader does not empathize with the hero, then at the turning point the same tension will not appear.

Any story must evoke feelings in the reader., negative or positive, it doesn’t matter. The point is their presence. When the events described in a new novel from a famous writer make a person think and worry, then at this moment of the highest boiling point, a massive explosion of emotions will occur. Simply creating an imaginary text of coherent sentences and calling it a story will not work. Even in the simplest stories written by schoolchildren in Russian lessons on the theme of the knight of Ivanhoe or Don Quixote’s latest battle with the mills, there is a climax. The main thing is to present it correctly, and then it’s a matter of technique.

Many imagine the climax only in literature, this word is also used in other areas of creativity and human activity.

Climax, from the point of view of astronomy, denotes the movement through the celestial meridian of a luminary with an interval of an earthly day.

Don't forget about the music. It turns out that in such a creative world there is also the concept of culmination. In many ways, the terminology coincides with the literary designation: the most intriguing and exciting moment in a musical work. Most often, this period falls on the penultimate or last stage of musical creation. For modern people who love only songs and dances, the climax can mean, again, most often, the chorus after the second verse, when the speed, timbre and tempo of the growing melody increase.

In cinema The climax denotes the final confrontation between the interests of important characters on the screen. Things are much more interesting in TV series. The catch is that most series have two climaxes. An exciting peak of the series with the most exciting grin. This is the time when the main problems and characters of the series find the necessary ways to solve the problems. After the denouement there is a small scene, which also has the right to be called a climax. The point is to intrigue the viewer and make them wait for each new episode; producers and directors create an exciting moment through the use of musical design and insufficient information in the frame.

For example. In one of the episodes of the last season of The Walking Dead, Rick and his group were captured by Scavengers, however, he saw and laughed. At the same time, we were not shown who he saw and why he laughed. This moment evokes the same feelings that were felt at the very climax of the series, and the unknown only increases the degree of excitement for the characters.