Epilogos

Epilogos is a term used in some languages to refer to the concluding portion of a literary or dramatic work, and it may also appear as a transliterated form of the Greek epílogos, meaning a speech or section added after the main text. In English, the conventional form is epilogue, with the plural epilogues; epilogos is uncommon in modern English outside of transliterated or language-specific contexts.

Definition and purpose: An epilogue is a concluding section that follows the main narrative. Its functions include resolving remaining plot threads, showing the fates of characters, supplying post-story context, and sometimes hinting at future installments. It differs from a prologue, which opens a work, and from a postscript, which is an ancillary note added after the main text.

Form and placement: Epilogues vary in length and style. They may take the form of a final chapter, a narrator’s address, a letter, or a brief scene that moves the timeline forward. In literature and film, epilogues can provide closure or set up a sequel. Some modern novels omit an explicit epilogue, letting the ending stand on its own or relying on an afterword or appendix instead.

Cultural and linguistic notes: The concept of an epilogue exists across many cultures, though the term and its exact usage differ. In classical drama, post-narrative remarks or final choruses can serve a similar function to an epilogue, even when not labeled as such.

See also: Prologue; Epilogue; Afterword; Coda; Postscript.