The climax occurs as well as the resolution (dénouement), a brief period of calm at the end of a play where a state of equilibrium returns. Five-act plays Until the 18th century, most plays were divided into five acts. The work of William Shakespeare, for example, generally adheres to a five-act structure. This format is known as the five-act play, and was famously analyzed by Gustav Freytag in Die Technik des Dramas (Dramatic techniques). The five acts played specific functions in the overall structure of the play, but in performance, there was not necessarily any clear separation between them. A similar five-part structure is also used in traditional Japanese Noh drama, particularly by Zeami Motokiyo. Zeami, in his work "Sandō" (The Three Paths), originally described a five-part (five dan) Noh play as the ideal form. It begins slowly and auspiciously in the first part (jo), building up the drama and tension in the second, third, and fourth parts (ha), with the greatest climax in the third dan, and rapidly concluding with a return to peace and auspiciousness in the fifth dan (kyū). Other media As part of a television program, each individual act can be separated by commercials. In film, a number of scenes grouped together bring an audiovisual work to life. The three-act structure is commonly referred to in film adaptations of theatrical plays. See also Acting Notes References Drama Narrative units