(Also peripetea, Greek for "sudden change ") The sudden reversal of fortune in a story, play, or any narrative in which there is an observable change in direction In tragedy, this is often a change from stability and happiness toward the destruction or downfall of the protagonist
a sudden and unexpected change of fortune or reverse of circumstances (especially in a literary work); "a peripeteia swiftly turns a routine sequence of events into a story worth telling
{i} sudden change in events, sudden reversal of circumstances (especially in a literary work)
In the Anglicized form, "peripety"; the reversal of the protagonist's fortunes that, according to Aristotle, is part of the climax of a tragedy
peripeteia
Hyphenation
pe·ri·pe·tei·a
Pronunciation
Etymology
() Greek περιπέτεια, ultimately from περι− ‘round, around, about’ + πετ− stem of πιτειν ‘to fall’.