Protasis

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In literature, a protasis is the introductory part of a drama, usually the first act. It was coined by the fourth-century Roman grammarian Aelius Donatus. He defined a play as being made up of three separate parts, the other two being epitasis and catastrophe.

The term protasis is also used in linguistics, to refer to the subordinate clause (the if-clause) in a conditional sentence. See apodosis.