Structure

Short stories are usually organized around a simple structure which we call plot. They have a beginning or an exposition, presenting the intrigue and the characters; a middle, in which the main action takes place leading to a high point we call climax; and an ending including the falling action and the resolution.

“Hop-Frog” by Edgar Allan Poe generally respects this structure, presenting a single main event – the burning of the king and his seven ministers by the court’s fool, Hop-Frog.

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Title

The initial title of the short story - “Hop-Frog Or the Eight Chained Ourang-Outangs” represents the main characters: Hop-Frog, who can be associated with the hero from fairytales, and the eight chained ourang-outangs (the king and his advisors) which are associated with the villains.

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Beginning

The story starts directly with a reflection of a first-person-narrator on the king of a land. Nevertheless, the author avoids any specific details. We do not know the name of the king or his kingdom, except that it is located in Europe. This functions as a narrative hook, attracting readers’ attention.

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Middle

The main part of the story is centered on the event of the masquerade ball, from the preparations to the ball itself. While narrating this event, the narrator also inserts details about the awful treatment Hop-Frog and Trippetta are subjected to, and the general mocking attitude the king and his ministers have.

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Ending

The ending of the story coincides with the climax and resolution. Readers finally discover that Hop-Frog had actually a plan behind his idea of dressing the king and ministers as orangutans;

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