# How A Christmas Carol Perfectly Demonstrates Five-Act Structure ## Метаданные - **Канал:** Lessons from the Screenplay - **YouTube:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P-U099IE0k - **Дата:** 18.12.2020 - **Длительность:** 14:58 - **Просмотры:** 99,396 - **Источник:** https://ekstraktznaniy.ru/video/18002 ## Описание Visit https://audible.com/LFTS or text "LFTS" to 500-500 for a free trial of Audible. We look at how Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol" is a simple, memorable example of five-act story structure. Listen to the LFTS team discuss A Christmas Carol in-depth on our podcast: http://apple.co/3r98uGK Support this channel at: http://patreon.com/LFTScreenplay Like LFTS on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromthescreenplay/ Follow me at: http://twitter.com/michaeltuckerla LFTS Merch: https://standard.tv/collections/lfts Video Produced by: Michael Tucker (https://twitter.com/michaeltuckerla) Written by: - Tricia Aurand (https://twitter.com/TriciaJeanA) - Brian Bitner (https://twitter.com/BrianBitner) - Alex Calleros (https://twitter.com/alex_calleros) - Michael Tucker Edited by: Alex Calleros Become a channel member here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErSSa3CaP_GJxmFpdjG9Jw/join Check out my kit, from screenwriting books to gear: https://kit.co/LFTS/screenwriting-b ## Транскрипт ### [] (typewriter clacking) (lively music) - [Michael] Hi, I'm Michael. ### Lessons from the Screenplay [0:02] This is "Lessons From The Screenplay". Everyone knows the story of "A Christmas Carol". In the 1843 novella by Charles Dickens, a miserly old man is visited by three ghosts who take him through Christmases past, present, and future to teach him to be a better person. And if you know the story of "A Christmas Carol", then congratulations, you're also familiar with the basic elements of story structure. ### story structure [0:26] Most stories guide a character on a journey of transformation, and story structure can help a writer design this arc of change. "A Christmas Carol" not only has one of the clearest examples of a character transformation, it also has a very visible story structure. Every major step along Scrooge's journey is marked by the introduction of a new character with a clear, singular purpose. So today, I wanna go back to basics to look at a few adaptations of "A Christmas Carol" to examine the story's visible five-act structure and to dissect how each turning point pushes Ebenezer to become a little bit less of a Scrooge. - Humbug. - [Michael] Let's revisit "A Christmas Carol". (light rhythmic music) While there are many kinds of story structure, today we're going to be breaking down five-act structure ### five-act structure [1:17] because Dickens's novella is made up of five staves, which correspond directly to five acts. For reference, a five-act story is simply a more detailed version of a traditional three-act structure. Check out our video on "The Avengers" to learn more. So let's start with Act 1. Before a story can take a character on a journey of change, the audience needs to understand who this person is ### who this person is and how they need to change [1:41] and how they need to change. So Act 1 is used to establish the story world, introduce the main characters, and most importantly, set up the protagonist's flaw. In Act 1 of "A Christmas Carol", we meet Ebenezer Scrooge and his flaw is quickly revealed through his interactions with others. - Well, what do you want? - Neither to borrow money or beg a mortgage, Uncle. Only to wish you a Merry Christmas. - Keep Christmas in your own way and leave me to keep it in mine. - But you don't keep it. - [Michael] When his nephew, Fred, invites Scrooge to Christmas dinner, Scrooge blows him off, making it clear that he doesn't care about Christmas. When two charity collectors approach him seeking donations, Scrooge shows no compassion for those in need. - Are there no prisons? - [Collector] Plenty of prisons. - And the union workhouses, are they still in operation? - Many can't go there. - And some would rather die. - (sighs) If they would rather die, they'd better do it and decrease the surplus population. - [Michael] And when his lone employee, Bob Cratchit, asks for Christmas Day off, Scrooge makes it clear that he thinks work is more important than family or celebrations. - 'Tis only once a year, sir. - It's a poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every 25th of December. - [Michael] Through these interactions, Scrooge's primary character flaw is revealed. Scrooge values money more than people. ### Scrooge values money more than people [2:59] So now that we know Scrooge's flaw, it's time to interrupt his normal life and launch the protagonist on his journey of change. This is the job of the story's inciting incident. ### Jacob Marley inciting incident [3:12] In "A Christmas Carol", the inciting incident takes the form of a surprise visitor. - (panting) Who are you? - In life, I was your partner, Jacob Marley. - [Michael] Marley brings with him a dire warning that Scrooge will be doomed to suffering in the afterlife if he doesn't change his ways and then sets the story into motion. - You will be visited by three spirits. - [Michael] Act 1 has established Scrooge's flaw, warned him that he needs to change, and set up the story to come. Now it's time for Act 2, signaled by the arrival of a new ghost. (tense music) (dramatic music) - What are you? - I am the Ghost of Christmas Past. (gentle music) - [Michael] By this point in the story, the audience understands that the protagonist needs to change, but the protagonist may refuse to acknowledge or even be unaware of their flaw. So Act 2 is all about creating challenges for the protagonist that will confront them with their flaw. ### confront them with their flaw [4:15] In the second act of "A Christmas Carol", the Ghost of Christmas Past takes Scrooge through various Christmases in his history, reminding him how he came to value money more than people. - [Ghost] Why didn't you go home for Christmas? - [Scrooge] I wasn't wanted. - [Michael] Scrooge's father was abusive, so he spent Christmases alone at boarding school, and his sister, the only family member he loved, died after giving birth to Fred. But the character who most powerfully confronts Scrooge with his flaw is his ex-fiancee, Belle. - Our promise to marry is an old one. It was made when we were poor and content to be so until we improved our fortunes. You are changed. When we promised each other, you were another man. - [Michael] After realizing that Scrooge had begun to value money more than people, Belle decided to leave him. (gentle music) The Ghost of Christmas Past has brought Scrooge through Act 2, using Belle to confront Scrooge with his flaw, but Scrooge is not yet ready to change. So now it's time to show him (light rhythmic music) how urgent the matter is in Act 3, signaled by the arrival of the Ghost of Christmas Present. (cheerful holiday music) - Come in! And know me better, man! Did I already say that? - You did, yeah. - I am the Ghost of Christmas Present. - Act 3 is designed (light rhythmic music) to show the protagonist the cost of his flaw, forcing him to acknowledge the difficult truth ### acknowledge the difficult truth [5:41] that he has been ignoring or denying. In the third act of "A Christmas Carol", the Ghost of Christmas Present transports Scrooge around London. They visit people enjoying Christmas regardless of how rich or poor they are, demonstrating that not everybody needs money to be happy. And when Scrooge sees how his nephew Fred and his family are spending Christmas, Scrooge overhears what others think of him. - Wait, I know! (lively holiday music) An unwanted creature, but not a rat, a leech, or a cockroach? - Then what? - It's Ebenezer Scrooge! - Yes. (all laughing) - What is he for? - A bitter sentiment echoed (light rhythmic music) at the Cratchit residence, where the family barely scrapes by on the meager salary Scrooge pays Bob. - I give you Mr Scrooge, the founder of the feast. - feast, indeed! - [Both] Humph! - If I had him here, I would give him a piece of my mind to feast upon and I bet he would choke on it, hm. - [Both] Choke. - [Michael] As he watches these scenes, Scrooge begins to understand that his behavior also affects others. But the point is most clearly made at the story's midpoint, heralded by the arrival ### Tiny Tim midpoint [6:47] of yet another crucial character, Tiny Tim. - God bless us every one! (gentle holiday music) - Scrooge notices (upbeat music) Bob Cratchit's son, Tiny Tim, remains joyful, in spite of his own poor health and his family's strained finances. Struck by Tiny Tim's positive attitude, Scrooge asks the Ghost of Christmas Present about the young boy's future. - Tell me if Tiny Tim will live. - I see a vacant seat (somber music) by the chimney corner, and a crutch without an owner. If these shadows remain unaltered, I believe the child will die. But what then? If he's going to die, he'd better do it and decrease the surplus population. - Oh, Spirit. - It's here at the midpoint (light rhythmic music) that Scrooge can no longer ignore the truth of his flaw. If he doesn't learn to value people more than money, his behavior will result in Tiny Tim's death. But he's still not ready to change. In order to change, he needs to be forced into a choice between his flaw and becoming a better version of himself which is exactly what happens (chorus vocalizing) in Act 4, beginning with the arrival (eerie music) of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. - I fear you more than any specter I've seen. - Act 4 is (light rhythmic music) closely connected to the inciting incident. After all, there's a reason the protagonist doesn't want to change. Change is scary. When we take an honest look at ourselves and our flaws, we might be afraid of what we see, but it's the choice to confront and overcome these flaws that lead to real change. So in Act 4, the protagonist is confronted with the worst possible outcome of the inciting incident. There's a great quote in John Yorke's "Into the Woods" about the fourth act of a story. "Faced with the ultimate crisis, the structure asks of the protagonist one simple question. Will you revert and die, or change and live? " When the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come shows Scrooge a future Christmas, he overhears conversations about a rich man who recently died. - [Broker 1] It'll likely be a very small funeral. Supposing we volunteered and form a party. - [Broker 2] I'll go if lunch is provided but I insist on being fed for the time I'll waste. (men laughing) - Scrooge also sees three scavengers who have callously looted the dead man's house in order to sell his valuable belongings. Scrooge at first thinks that the ghost is using people's reactions to some other man's death as a kind of warning. But then the ghost takes him to see the grave of the dead man and Scrooge realizes the truth. (eerie music) (thunder cracking) (dramatic music) - In previous acts, (light rhythmic music) other characters confront him with his flaw but in Act 4, at the crisis point, Scrooge is confronted by his own grave. ### Scrooge's grave crisis [9:40] (wind whistling) (thunder cracking) The ghost has shown him a future in which he dies alone (tense music) with no one to mourn his passing. (light rhythmic music) - Why show me this, (dramatic music) if I am past all hope? (wind whistling) Say that I may change these things by an altered life! - [Michael] This horrifying revelation, the worst possible outcome (light rhythmic music) of his character flaw, finally forces Scrooge to not just acknowledge (thunder cracking) his flaw, but to choose to change. (eerie music) - I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the past, present, and the future. The spirits of all three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. (dramatic music) (Scrooge crying) - [Ghost] Swear of it. - [Michael] But it's not enough for the protagonist- - I swear! (crying) - [Michael] to simply claim he wants to change, he has to prove it. And that's exactly what happens in Act 5, which begins as Scrooge finds himself back home in his bed (tense music) on Christmas Day. (bells ringing) - Hello, you there, boy. - Me, sir? - Yes you, my good fellow. What day is today? - Today? Why, it's Christmas Day of course. - Christmas Day! I haven't missed it. The spirits did it all in one night. - Act 5 completes (lively music) the protagonist's character arc, testing their commitment to change and demonstrating who they have become as a result of their journey. Scrooge encounters the same characters from Act 1, but now treats them completely differently. He anonymously sends a large holiday turkey to Bob Cratchit's family, and then makes his way to visit his nephew, Fred, pausing to make a charitable donation along the way. When Scrooge asks Fred if his invitation to Christmas dinner is still open, we see that he's learned to value spending time with family. - Fred, it's your Uncle Scrooge. I've, I've come to dinner. Will you have me, Fred? - [Michael] And when Bob Cratchit comes into work the next morning, we see Scrooge has learned that there are more important things than money. - I was making rather merry yesterday, sir. - I am not gonna stand this sort of thing any longer. Which leaves me not alternative but to raise your salary. (laughing) - [Michael] Through this new behavior, we see that Scrooge truly has overcome his flaw and has become the best version of himself. (all laughing) (holiday music) - And Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more. To Tiny Tim, Scrooge became a second father. And it was always said of him, (all laughing) that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that truly be said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed- - God bless us. - God bless us, everyone! ("Auld Lang Syne") - Stories are about change because the process of changing unlocks some of our deepest human emotions. This is why we can understand when a character might be afraid of change, why we are upset when changes present disturbing challenges, and why we experience joy when we witness people who are faced with a difficult choice choose to do what's right. Story structure provides a framework for guiding a character and the audience through each of these steps. Ebenezer Scrooge's transformation not only contains these steps, it marks each one with clear, memorable characters, making it a handy resource when thinking about story structure and allowing it to form the classic, heartwarming tale of "A Christmas Carol". Hey, guys. Hope you enjoyed the video. I am out walking around the block because I've spent far too much time this year sitting at my desk all day, every day. And when I'm on my walks, sometimes I like peace and quiet, but sometimes I wanna use the opportunity to feed my brain, to learn about new ideas, or hear interesting stories, which is what makes Audible the perfect companion for my walks. Now, whenever I talk about Audible, I always recommend an audio book. And previously I had recommended "Sapiens" by Yuval Noah Harari. Today, instead of an audiobook, I wanna recommend an interview with Yuval Noah Harari in which he talks about how we're using technology to literally turn ourselves into gods. It's really interesting and the interview is an Audible Original. It's the kind of Original that you get when you sign up with their new plan Audible Plus. With Audible Plus, you get access to the full Plus catalog which contains thousands of podcasts and Originals and audiobooks. And now is the best time to sign up because with their holiday offer, you get Audible Plus for only 4. 95 a month for your first six months. So head to the link in the description below or text LFTS to 500-500 to get started with Audible. You'll be supporting this channel and getting some awesome content. Thank you to Audible for sponsoring this video. I also wanna say thank you to the patrons for supporting this channel and making it possible. If you ever wanna chat about movies, we invite you to join our Patreon where we're constantly having conversations about film in our Discord and in our monthly video chats. So thank you to the patrons, thank you for watching, have a very happy holidays and I'll see you next time.