CALLIHOO Writing Idea Generators: 37 Dramatic Situations

The Thirty-seven Dramatic Situations 25-30

25. ADULTERY. Elements: A deceived husband or wife and two adulterers.
A A mistress betrayed: A1 For a young woman. A2 For a young wife. A3 For a girl.	B A wife betrayed: B1 For a slave, who does not love in return. B2 For debauchery. B3 For a married woman. B4 With the intention of bigamy. B5 For a young girl, who does not love in return. B6 A wife envied by a young girl who is in love with her husband. B7 By a courtesan. B8 Rivalry between a lawful wife who is antipathetic and a mistress who is congenial. B9 Between a generous wife and an impassioned girl.
C1 An antagonistic husband sacrificed for a congenial lover. C2 A husband, believed to be lost, forgotten for a rival. C3 A commonplace husband sacrificed for a sympathetic lover. C4 A good husband betrayed for an inferior rival. C5 For a grotesque rival. C6 For an odious rival. C7 For a commonplace rival, by a perverse wife. C8 For a less handsome, but useful rival.	D1 Vengeance of a deceived spouse. D2 Jealousy sacrificed out of pity. D3 Jealousy sacrificed for the sake of a cause.	E A spouse persecuted by a rejected rival.

26. CRIMES OF LOVE. Elements: The lover and the betrayed.
A1 A mother in love with her son. A2 A daughter in love with her father. A3 Violation of a daughter by her father.	B1 A woman enamored of her stepson. B2 A woman and her stepson enamored of each other. B3 A woman being the mistress, at the same time, of a father and son, both of whom accept the situation.	C1 A man becomes the lover of his sister-in-law. C2 The man alone becomes enamored of his sister-in-law. C3 A brother and sister in love with each other.	D1 A man enamored of another man, who yields. D2 A woman enamored of a bull.

27. DISCOVERY OF THE DISHONOR OF A LOVED ONE. Elements: The discoverer and the guilty one.
A1 Discovery of a parent's shame. A2 Discovery of one's child's dishonor. A3 Discovery of a sibling's shame or dishonor.	B1 Discovery of dishonor in the family of one's fiancee. B2 Discovery that one's wife has been violated before marriage. B3 Discovery that one's wife has been violated since the marriage. B4 Discovery that one's spouse previously committed a fault. B5 Discovery that one's spouse has formerly been a prostitute. B6 Discovery of dishonor on the part of a lover. B7 Discovery that one's mistress, formerly a prostitute, has returned to her old life. B8 Discovery that one's lover is a scoundrel. B9 The same discovery concerning a so-called king. B10 The same discovery concerning one's spouse. B11 The discovery that one's lover is specifically weakened.	C Discovery that one's child is an assassin.	D1 Duty of punishing one's child who is a traitor to country. D2 Duty of punishing one's sibling who is a traitor to his party. D2 Duty of punishing a child condemned under a law which the parent has made. D3 Duty of punishing one's child believed to be guilty. D4 Duty of sacrificing, to fulfill a vow of tyrannicide, a father until then unknown. D5 Duty of punishing a sibling who is an assassin. D6 Duty of punishing one's mother to avenge one's father.

28. OBSTACLES TO LOVE. Elements: Two lovers and an obstacle.
A1 Marriage prevented by inequality of rank. A2 Inequality of fortune an impediment to marriage.	B Marriage prevented by enemies and contingent obstacles.	C1 Marriage forbidden on account of one partner's previous betrothal to another. C2 The same case, complicated by an imaginary marriage of the beloved object.
D1 A free union impeded by the opposition of relatives. D2 Family affection disturbed by the parents-in-law.	E Free union impeded by the incompatibility of temper of the lovers.	F Love

29. AN ENEMY LOVED. Elements: The beloved enemy, the lover, and the hater.

A The loved one hated by the kinsman of the lover.

A1 The lover pursued by the brothers of his beloved.
A2 The lover hated by the family of his beloved.
A3 The lover is the child of a man hated by the kinsmen of his beloved.
A4 The beloved is an enemy of the party of the woman who loves him.

B1 The lover is the slayer of the father of his beloved.

B2 The beloved is the slayer of the father of the beloved.

B3 The beloved is the slayer of the brother of her lover.

B4 The beloved is the slayer of the husband of the woman who loves him, but who has previously sworn to avenge that husband.

B5 The same case, except that a lover, instead of a husband, has been slain.

B6 The beloved is the slayer of a kinsman of the woman who loves him.

B7 The beloved is the daughter of the slayer of her lover's father.

30. AMBITION. Elements: An ambitious person, a thing coveted, and an adversary.
A1 Ambition watched and guarded against by a kinsman or patriot friend or by a brother. A2 By a relative or person under obligation. A3 By partisans.	B Rebellious ambition (akin to #8).	C1 Ambition and covetousness heaping crime upon crime. C2 Parricidal ambition.

37 Dramatic Situations | 1-6 | 7-12 | 13-18 | 19-24 | 25-30 | 31-37

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Last update 21 March 2002