anagnorisis
Anagnorisis is a dramatic moment in which a character makes a sudden, crucial recognition—typically of identity, kinship, or a hidden fact about events—that changes the direction of the plot. The term is most closely associated with classical Greek tragedy, but it is employed in modern drama and narrative as well.
Etymology and scope: The word derives from the Greek anagnōrísis (ἀναγνώρισις), from ana- “again” or “up” and
In literary theory, anagnorisis is a key moment in the structure of tragedy, usually linked to a
Common forms include the discovery of a hidden parentage or lineage, the revelation of a concealed crime
Classic example: in Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex, the hero’s recognition of his true origins and the murder of