300: 7-Step Outline
March 23, 2009
Step 1: The set-up
Set in Greece and Persia 480 B.C. king Leonidas (protagonist) is the leader of the Spartan army. As the Persians threaten Greece of taking over their land and slavery to their people, Leonidas and 300 Spartans is force to wage war against Persia. Their main goal is to protect the essence of their culture, people and freedom.
Step 2: The inciting incident
Leonidas is challenge by Xerxes, leader of the Persians and Leonidas has to act soon or his people will become slaves and the history of Greece will be erased.
Step 3: Act one turning point
King Leonidas and his 300 strong Spartans go and march to war against his own Gods, priest’s, the law and the oracles blessing as the love of his life asked him “What should a free man do?.”
Step 4: Mid-point
Hitting Leonidas lowest point when he knows he is outnumbered by the Persian Army. Knowing this before he sets into battle, he and the 300 Spartans will use their superior fighting skills and act as a single impenetrable unit (source of strength). Joined and helped by the Arcadians, they built the great Phocian wall that will trap enemies and funnel them to the hot gates as their numbers will count for nothing.
Step 5: Act two turning point
Due to the fear of Xerxes and his army, the Arcadians decided to back off and retreat to safety. Most importantly Ephialtes a half man creature of a Spartan descent which Leonidas denies him in any part of his army strongly betrayed him by crossing to Xerxes side and exposing an old route to the western which is an old goat path to outflank the Leonidas and his vulnerable Spartans.
Step 6: The climax – act three turning point
When all the key elements of the problem come into conflict at once, Leonidas and his brave army did not retreat and kept fighting on. As the Spartan law says they are not to surrender but to fight and die at all cost no matter how many elements of conflicts are there. Leeonidas also sends one of his troops (Dilios) to go back to Sparta and tell their people the story of their battle and the victory they will fullfil in this war.
Step 7: The resolution
Leonidas & the 300 Spartans dies at the hand of the facially wounded Xerxes, as the protagonist stated in the start that a God or a King can also bleed. With the tall tale from Dilios mouth , Leonidas wife (Queen Gorgo) also convinces the chamber of philosophers and councilman to send the rest of the Spartan army (10,000) to battle the Persians.
