The Triangle of Knowledge is a writing technique to create and amplify tension in a screenplay, teleplay or stage play identified by

Eric R. Williams Eric R. Williams is an American screenwriter, professor, cinematic virtual reality director, and new media storyteller. He is known for developing alternative narrative and documentary techniques that take advantage of digital technologies.Binsto ...

. The Triangle represents ‘three minds’ that contain knowledge within a scene: the

Protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

, the audience, and any other Character in the scene. According to Williams, tension is created or enhanced when one of the three corners of the triangle is deprived knowledge (or "kept in the dark") in the scene.

Option A: Audience in the Dark

To create tension, a writer may deprive the audience of information that the two characters in the scene possess. Keeping the audience in the dark is the most common use of the Triangle of Knowledge. It is often used at the beginning of the film. At the beginning of ''

Leaving Las Vegas ''Leaving Las Vegas'' is a 1995 American drama film written and directed by Mike Figgis, and based on the semi-autobiographical 1990 novel of the same name by John O'Brien. Nicolas Cage stars as a suicidal alcoholic in Los Angeles who, havin ...

'', screenwriter/director

Mike Figgis Michael Figgis (born 28 February 1948) is an English film director, screenwriter, and composer. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for his work in ''Leaving Las Vegas'' (1995). Figgis was the founding patron of the independent filmmakers o ...

keeps the audience in the dark revealing just enough details to make the Protagonist (Ben - Character A) stand out. Ben dons an expensive but worn suit in an elite bar, which leaves the audience curious. then, Ben has an awkward conversation with a second character about borrowing money (Character B). The awkward interaction between Character A and Character B reveals a fractured relationship, which creates curiosity and (therefore) tension in the audience.

Option B: Protagonist in the Dark

Often, the audience and a specific character are aware of all the information in a scene, but the protagonist is left in the dark. When the protagonist is kept in the dark, the audience is immediately invested. This explains why people talk to the screen to warn the Protagonist of impending danger even though the character cannot hear them. In ''