The resolution phase of a narrative following the climax, where loose ends are tied up and the new status quo is established.
Denouement (from French meaning 'unknotting') is the final portion of a story where the consequences of the climax play out and stability is restored. In fairy tales, this typically includes: the villain's punishment, the hero's reward (often marriage or wealth), the restoration of order, and sometimes the establishment of a 'happily ever after' status. For example, in Cinderella, the denouement includes the stepsisters' attempts to fit the shoe, Cinderella's reveal, the marriage to the prince, and the stepsisters' punishment (in some versions). In Snow White, it includes awakening, meeting the prince, the wedding, and the wicked queen's punishment. The denouement serves to confirm the moral order—good is rewarded and evil punished—and to provide closure for the audience. In some tales, particularly those with trickster protagonists, the denouement may be less about marriage and more about the trickster escaping to trick another day, reflecting a different narrative tradition.