4.4 Stakes and consequences

Stakes and consequences are the backbone of compelling drama. They drive character actions, create tension, and keep audiences engaged. Understanding how to craft and escalate stakes throughout a story is crucial for playwrights.

Effective stakes are directly tied to character goals and escalate as the story progresses. Consequences, both immediate and long-term, add depth to character arcs and can raise new conflicts. Balancing internal and external stakes creates multi-dimensional stories that resonate with audiences.

Types of stakes

• Stakes are the potential gains or losses that characters face in a story based on the outcome of their actions and decisions
• Understanding the different types of stakes helps playwrights create compelling conflicts and motivations for their characters

Internal vs external stakes

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• Internal stakes are the personal, emotional, or psychological consequences that a character faces (inner conflict, moral dilemma, personal growth)
• External stakes are the tangible, observable outcomes that impact the character's physical world or relationships (winning a competition, saving a life, losing a job)
• Effective stories often interweave both internal and external stakes to create multi-dimensional conflicts

Low vs high stakes

• Low stakes are smaller, more personal consequences that may not have a significant impact on the overall story (minor disagreement, small personal goal)
• High stakes are larger, more consequential outcomes that can dramatically alter the course of the story or the characters' lives (life-or-death situations, major decisions with far-reaching implications)
• Balancing low and high stakes throughout a story helps maintain tension and allows for moments of relief

Single vs multiple stakes

• Single stakes involve one primary conflict or goal that drives the character's actions throughout the story (solving a mystery, winning a competition)
• Multiple stakes involve several competing or interrelated conflicts that the character must navigate simultaneously (balancing personal and professional goals, dealing with multiple antagonists)
• Incorporating multiple stakes can add complexity and depth to a character's journey

Creating compelling stakes

• Compelling stakes are essential for engaging the audience and maintaining their investment in the story and characters
• Playwrights can use various techniques to create stakes that resonate with the audience and drive the story forward

Connecting stakes to character goals

• Stakes should be directly tied to the character's goals, desires, and motivations
• The potential gains or losses should have a significant impact on the character's ability to achieve their objectives
• Connecting stakes to character goals ensures that the audience understands the importance of the conflicts and can empathize with the character's struggles

Escalating stakes throughout the story

• As the story progresses, the stakes should escalate in intensity and consequence
• Increasing the stakes helps maintain tension and raises the dramatic question of whether the character will succeed or fail
• Escalating stakes can be achieved through introducing new obstacles, revealing hidden information, or raising the personal or external costs of failure

Balancing stakes with character agency

• While high stakes create tension, characters must still have agency and the ability to make meaningful choices
• Balancing stakes with character agency ensures that the story remains character-driven rather than plot-driven
• Characters should have opportunities to actively pursue their goals and make decisions that impact the outcome of the story

Consequences of stakes

• Consequences are the results of the character's actions and decisions in relation to the stakes they face
• Exploring the consequences of stakes adds depth and complexity to the story and the characters' arcs

Immediate vs long-term consequences

• Immediate consequences are the direct, short-term results of a character's actions (injury, argument, temporary setback)
• Long-term consequences are the lasting, far-reaching effects that may impact the character's life beyond the immediate story (damaged relationships, career changes, personal growth)
• Balancing immediate and long-term consequences creates a sense of continuity and shows how the character's choices have both short and long-term impacts

Positive vs negative consequences

• Positive consequences are the favorable outcomes that result from a character's actions (achieving a goal, strengthening a relationship, personal growth)
• Negative consequences are the unfavorable outcomes that create new challenges or setbacks for the character (failure, loss, new obstacles)
• Incorporating both positive and negative consequences adds realism and complexity to the story, showing that actions have both rewards and costs

Consequences that raise new conflicts

• Some consequences may resolve existing conflicts while simultaneously creating new ones
• These consequences can serve as turning points in the story, shifting the direction of the plot or the character's arc
• Raising new conflicts through consequences helps maintain dramatic tension and keeps the audience engaged in the story

Integrating stakes and consequences

• Effectively integrating stakes and consequences throughout the story is crucial for creating a cohesive and compelling narrative
• Playwrights can use specific story beats and structures to introduce, escalate, and resolve stakes and consequences

Establishing stakes in the exposition

• The exposition is the beginning of the story where the characters, setting, and initial conflicts are introduced
• Establishing the stakes early on helps the audience understand the character's goals and the potential consequences of their actions
• Clear stakes in the exposition engage the audience and set the tone for the rest of the story

Revealing consequences at turning points

• Turning points are the key moments in the story where the plot takes a significant shift in direction
• Revealing major consequences at turning points can heighten the dramatic impact and raise the stakes for the characters
• These revelations can be used to create cliffhangers, reversals, or new obstacles that the characters must overcome

Resolving stakes in the climax

• The climax is the highest point of tension in the story where the main conflicts are resolved
• The resolution of the stakes in the climax should be a direct result of the character's actions and decisions throughout the story
• A satisfying climax addresses the consequences of the character's choices and shows how they have changed or grown as a result of facing the stakes

Common pitfalls with stakes

• Playwrights should be aware of common pitfalls when creating and integrating stakes into their stories
• Avoiding these pitfalls helps ensure that the stakes are effective and engaging for the audience

Stakes that lack urgency or importance

• Stakes that feel trivial or unimportant to the characters or the audience can undermine the story's tension and impact
• Ensure that the stakes are directly tied to the character's goals and have real consequences for their lives or the world of the story
• Stakes should feel urgent and pressing, encouraging the characters to take action and make difficult choices

Inconsistent or unbelievable consequences

• Consequences that feel inconsistent with the established stakes or the characters' actions can break the audience's suspension of disbelief
• Ensure that the consequences are logical and proportional to the stakes and the choices made by the characters
• Consequences should be set up and foreshadowed throughout the story to maintain consistency and believability

Relying on external stakes alone

• Focusing solely on external stakes, such as physical dangers or material losses, can lead to a lack of emotional depth and character development
• Incorporate internal stakes, such as personal growth, moral dilemmas, or relationship challenges, to create multi-dimensional conflicts
• Balancing external and internal stakes helps the audience connect with the characters on a deeper level and invest in their emotional journeys

Analyzing stakes in example plays

• Studying how successful plays handle stakes and consequences can provide valuable insights for playwrights
• Analyzing examples helps identify effective techniques and strategies for creating compelling stakes in one's own work

Stakes that drive character actions

• In "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller, the stakes of Willy Loman's need to be successful and provide for his family drive his actions throughout the play
• The stakes of preserving the family's reputation and social standing propel the characters' choices in "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry

Consequences that shift the story's direction

• In "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles, the revelation of Oedipus' true identity and his inadvertent fulfillment of the prophecy serves as a major consequence that shifts the direction of the story
• The consequences of the characters' secrets being exposed in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" by Edward Albee lead to significant turning points and a shift in their relationships

Effective use of internal and external stakes

• "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare skillfully balances the external stakes of political power and revenge with the internal stakes of Hamlet's moral dilemma and personal struggles
• In "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen, the interplay between Nora's external stakes of maintaining her marriage and social status and her internal stakes of self-discovery and independence creates a compelling character arc