Denouement is a term used in literature and storytelling to describe the final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a work of fiction. It is the point in a story in which the conflict is resolved, occurring after the climax of the plot. The word "denouement" comes from the French language and literally means "untie the knot," referring to the narrative entanglements the author has woven through the first four stages of plot development.
The denouement is an essential aspect of a narrative that gives context and resolution to a major theme, relationship, or event in a story. It is the final part of a storys narrative arc, occurring from the moment the climax ends until the actual end. The resolution can be explicit, implicit, or both, and it is different from an epilogue. Unlike a storys epilogue, the denouement is essential, and a narrative cannot be complete without it.
In a traditionally structured plot, the denouement is where the complexities of the plot are unraveled, and the conflict is finally resolved. The villain may be exposed, the mystery explained, misunderstandings clarified, or lovers reunited. In a tragedy, the conclusion is often called the catastrophe.
