404//MEANINGSSYS.ONLINE

:: COMPARE ::

DenouementvsEpilogue

The short answer

The denouement is inside the story's causal chain — it is the consequences of the climax arriving. An epilogue steps outside it, usually across a gap of time, to report. One is the plot finishing; the other is the narrator adding a note.

Side by side

AspectDenouementEpilogue
Inside the plotYesNo
Caused by the climaxDirectlyLoosely
Time gapUsually noneUsually years
OptionalNoYes

Which one you meant

Readers who land here meaning Denouement rather than Epilogue are usually searching for phrases like “what is a denouement”, “denouement vs resolution”, “how to pronounce denouement”.

Denouement

  • what is a denouement
  • denouement vs resolution
  • how to pronounce denouement
  • denouement vs epilogue

Read either one in full