Rare
In medias res
Narrative technique
In medias res
In mediās rēs (Classical Latin: [ɪn ˈmɛdɪ.aːs ˈreːs], lit. 'into the middle of things') is the plot device of starting a narrative in the chronological middle of the plot or conflict, rather than at the chronological beginning (cf. ab ovo, ab initio). Often, exposition is initially bypassed, instead filled in later through dialogue, flashbacks, or description of past events. For example, Hamlet begins after the death of Hamlet's father, which is later discovered to have been a murder. Characters make reference to King Hamlet's death without the plot's first establishment of this fact. Since Hamlet's mental state and desire for revenge are more important than the motivation, Shakespeare begins the play in medias res to bypass superfluous exposition. Works that employ in medias res often later use nonlinear narrative structure to fill in the backstory. In Homer's Odyssey, the reader first learns about Odysseus's journey when he is held captive on Ogygia, Calypso's island. The reader then...
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