Here's my contribution for a good example of a literary climax. In Oedpius Rex, when Oedipus discovers his identity and realizes the implications of it (namely patricide and incest) that is the climax of the play. He has gained knowledge that will forever change him; the rest is denoument. In fact this makes for an interesting moment because the truth he has just learned is the very truth that the audience knew along, which was a source of dramatic irony.