In medias res — English definition
A structural technique of opening a story 'in the middle of things,' at a moment of action or crisis, before explaining how events got there.
Where it is taught
- Characterization & Structure — Close Reading & Literary Analysis, English 10: Choices, Conscience & Consequences, Grade 10
In use
A story can open in medias res, dropping you into the crisis before you understand it — a technique as old as the ancient epics, which famously begin in the thick of a war or a long voyage already underway.
Characterization & Structure