The use of moral conflicts in the evolution of the dramatic curve of personality

This research aims to investigate and explain the possible applications of moral conflicts in the evolution of a dramatic character arc.

In this interdisciplinary research, we have used three

empirical psychology to explore the inner life of characters, philosophical analysis to extract assumptions and logical tools, and artistic hermeneutics to discover the meaning of works.

For a dramatic character facing moral conflicts, eleven stages can be identified. These stages depict how the character transforms through their internal and external actions. The stages are: 1) Initial state; 2) The emergence of the moral conflict; 3) Denial and struggle to avoid the conflict; 4) Failure and anger; 5) Doubting the ethical principle; 6) Despair; 7) Acceptance and return to ethics; 8) Decision-making for the least costly option; 9) Ethical action; 10) Costs and benefits of ethical action; 11) Reaction to the incurred costs of the action.

In moral conflicts, characters must face their most challenging ethical choices, which could lead to the most crucial transformations in their arcs and are among the essential factors shaping a character's dramatic arc.