A MacGuffin is a film term coined by Alfred Hitchcock. A MacGuffin is "an object, document, or secret within a story that is of vital importance to the characters, and this motivates their actions and the conflict, but that turns out to be less significant to the overall narrative (the story) than the audience expects" (Barsam & Monahan 2013).
MacGuffin's can set a chain of events in motion and drive plot, but may lose importance over the course of the story.
MacGuffin's can set a chain of events in motion and drive plot, but may lose importance over the course of the story.
Examples of MacGuffins
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The Ring from Lord of the Rings is a famous movie MacGuffin. the ring drives the plot: everyone wants the ring because it has power. But, what power does the ring hold? We never see the ring's true power, other than invisibility for hobbits. Instead, Frodo carries the ring in a subplot as the major players - Gandalf, Aragorn the elves and dwarves - engage in a battle against the evils of Middle Earth.
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Look at types of MacGuffins for the activity question below! **Scroll down to "MacGuffin subtropes"
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