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{{Short description|Main character of a creative work}}
{{For|the 2007 documentary|Protagonist (film)}}
{{other uses}}
]'s ''], Prince of Denmark.'' William Morris Hunt, oil on canvas, {{Circa|1864}}]]


A '''protagonist''' (from the ] {{Polytonic|πρωταγωνιστής}} ''protagonistes'', "one who donovan is gay first part, chief actor"<ref></ref>) is the main ] (the central or primary personal figure) of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, ], or musical ], around whom the events of the narrative's ] revolve and with whom the ] is intended to share the most ]. In the ], three actors played all of the main dramatic roles in a ]; the leading role was played by the protagonist, while the other roles were played by ] and the ]. A '''protagonist''' ({{etymology|grc|''{{wikt-lang|grc|πρωταγωνιστής}}'' {{grc-transl|πρωταγωνιστής}}|one who plays the first part, chief actor}})<ref>, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek–English Lexicon'', on Perseus Digital Library.</ref><ref>. ], ]. Retrieved November 17, 2017.</ref><ref>{{OEtymD|protagonist|accessdate=}}</ref> is the main ] of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the ], primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a story contains a ], or is a narrative made up of several stories, then each subplot may have its own protagonist.<ref>Duncan, Stephen. ''A Guide to Screenwriting Success: Writing for Film and Television''. Rowman & Littlefield (2006) {{ISBN|9780742553019}}</ref>


The protagonist is the character whose fate is most closely followed by the reader or audience, and who is opposed by the ]. The antagonist provides obstacles and complications and creates conflicts that test the protagonist, revealing the strengths and weaknesses of the protagonist's character, and having the protagonist develop as a result.
The terms ''protagonist'', ''main character'' and ''hero'' are variously defined and, depending on the source, may denote different concepts. In fiction, the story of the protagonist may be told from the perspective of a different character (who may also, but not necessarily, be the ]). An example would be a narrator who relates the fate of several protagonists, perhaps as prominent figures recalled in a biographical perspective. Often, the protagonist in a ] is also the same person as the ], though the two terms are distinct. Excitement and intrigue alone is what the audience feels toward a focal character, while a sense of empathy about his/her objectives and emotions is what the audience feels toward the protagonist. He/she is often referred to as the "good guy." However, it is entirely possible for a story's protagonist to clearly be the villain of the piece, as is evident with characters like ] (from '']'') and ] ('']'').


==Etymology==
The principal opponent of the protagonist is a character known as the ], who represents or creates obstacles that the protagonist(s) must overcome. As with protagonists, there may be more than one antagonist in a story. Also the antagonist can sometimes actually be the hero, such as ''The Shield'''s ] officers, and ] agents and police officers from ''The Sopranos''.
The term ''protagonist'' comes {{etymology|grc|''{{wikt-lang|grc|πρωταγωνιστής}}'' ({{grc-transl|πρωταγωνιστής}})|actor who plays the chief or first part}}, combined of {{wikt-lang|grc|πρῶτος}} ({{grc-transl|πρῶτος}}, 'first') and {{wikt-lang|grc|ἀγωνιστής}} ({{grc-transl|ἀγωνιστής}}, 'actor, competitor'), which stems from {{wikt-lang|grc|ἀγών}} ({{grc-transl|ἀγών}}, 'contest') via {{wikt-lang|grc|ἀγωνίζομαι}} ({{grc-transl|ἀγωνίζομαι}}, 'I contend for a prize').<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/protagonist#etymonline_v_2724 |title=Protagonist |publisher=Online Etymology Dictionary |access-date=28 April 2021}}</ref>


==Ancient Greece==
Sometimes, a work will offer a particular character as the protagonist, only to dispose of that character unexpectedly, as a ]. Such a character is called a ]. Marion in ]'s '']'' (1960) is a famous example.
The earliest known examples of a protagonist are found in ]. At first, dramatic performances involved merely dancing and recitation by the chorus. Then in '']'', ] describes how a poet named ] introduced the idea of one actor stepping out and engaging in a dialogue with the chorus. This was the invention of tragedy, and occurred about 536 B.C.<ref>Müller, K.O. ''History of the literature of Ancient Greece''. Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. London (1840) page 306</ref> Then the poet ], in his plays, introduced a second actor, inventing the idea of dialogue between two characters. ] then wrote plays that included a third actor.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url= http://www.britannica.com/art/protagonist|title=Protagonist – literature|encyclopedia = Encyclopaedia Britannica|date = 1 April 2016}}</ref><ref>Aristotle. ''Poetics''. Oxford University Press (January 20, 2013) {{ISBN|978-0199608362}}</ref><ref>]. ''The Art of the Playwright''. Thunder's Mouth Press. 1997 {{ISBN|1-56025-117-4}}</ref><ref name = storey84/>


A description of the protagonist's origin cited that during the early period of Greek drama, the protagonist served as the author, the director, and the actor and that these roles were only separated and allocated to different individuals later.<ref>{{Cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=0jhjDwAAQBAJ&q=protagonist+definition+classical+greece&pg=PT235|title=Moreno's Personality Theory and its Relationship to Psychodrama: A Philosophical, Developmental and Therapeutic Perspective|last=Telias|first=Rozei|date=2018-07-06|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781351021081|language=en}}</ref> There is also a claim that the poet did not assign or create the protagonist as well as other terms for actors such as '']'' and '']'' primarily because he only gave actors their appropriate part.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lgpaDwAAQBAJ&q=protagonist+protagonistes+classical+greece&pg=PT513|title=History of the Literature of Ancient Greece|last=Bart|first=M. P.|date=2018-03-22|publisher=Charles River Editors|isbn=9781632956316|language=en}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> However, these actors were assigned their specific areas at the stage with the protagonist always entering from the middle door or that the dwelling of the deuteragonist (second most important character) should be on the right hand, and the tritagonist (third most important character), the left.<ref name=":0" />
When the work contains ]s, these may have different protagonists from the main plot. In some novels, the protagonists may be impossible to identify, because multiple plots in the novel do not permit clear identification of one as the main plot, such as in ]'s '']'', depicting a variety of characters imprisoned and living in a ] camp, or in ]'s '']'', depicting 15 major characters involved in or affected by a war.


In Ancient Greece, the protagonist is distinguished from the term "hero", which was used to refer to a human who became a semi-divine being in the narrative.<ref name = storey84>{{Cite book|title=A Guide to Ancient Greek Drama|last1=Storey|first1=Ian|last2=Allan|first2=Arlene|publisher=Blackwell Publishing|year=2008|isbn=978-1405102148|location=Malden, MA|pages=|url=https://archive.org/details/guidetoancientgr0000stor/page/84}}</ref>
In ], the "protagonist" is the person (group member, patient or client) who decides to enact some significant aspect of his life, experiences or relationships on stage with the help of the ] and other group members, taking supplementary roles as auxiliary egos.


==Types==
Sometimes, antagonists and protagonists may overlap, depending on what their ultimate objectives are considered to be.
==See also== ===Hero/Heroine===
In literary terms, a ] (masculine) or heroine (feminine) protagonist is typically admired for their achievements and noble qualities.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/art/hero-literary-and-cultural-figure |title=Hero|publisher=Britannica |access-date=28 April 2021}}</ref> Heroes are lauded for their strength, courage, virtuousness, and honor, and are considered to be the "good guys" of the narrative.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hero |title=Hero|publisher=Merriam-Webster|access-date=28 April 2021}}</ref>
{{wiktionarypar|protagonist}}

* ]
Examples include DC Comics' ] (hero) and ] from '']'' (heroine).
* ]

* ]
* ] ===Antihero===
{{Main article|Antihero}}
An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who lacks conventional heroic qualities and attributes such as idealism, courage, and morality.

Examples include ] from '']'', ] from '']'', ] from '']'', and ] from ].

===Tragic hero===
{{Main article|Tragic hero}}
A tragic hero is the protagonist of a tragedy.

Examples include ] from '']'' and ] from Shakespeare's '']''.

===Villain protagonist===
The protagonist is not always conventionally good.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://public.ebookcentral.proquest.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1118755 |title=A Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory|publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated|access-date=28 April 2021}}</ref> Contrasting the hero protagonist, a villain protagonist is a protagonist who is a ], driving the story forward regardless of the evil qualities the main character has. These traits can include being cruel, malicious, and wicked.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/villain |title=Villain|publisher=Dictionary.com|access-date=28 April 2021}}</ref>

Examples include Humbert Humbert in ] '']''<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Byford|first1=Andy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CjPNDwAAQBAJ&q=%22villain+protagonist%22&pg=PA137|title=Transnational Russian Studies|last2=Doak|first2=Connor|last3=Hutchings|first3=Stephen|date=2020-01-30|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-1-78962-087-0|language=en}}</ref> and Richard III in the ] by ].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NLFPAAAAMAAJ&q=%22villain+protagonist%22&pg=PA376|title=The Encyclopedia Americana: A Library of Universal Knowledge|date=1918|publisher=Encyclopedia Americana Corporation|language=en}}</ref>

===Supporting protagonist===
When a supporting protagonist appears, the story is told from the perspective of a character who appears to be minor. This character may be more peripheral from the events of the story and are not as involved within the "main action" of the plot. The supporting protagonist may be telling the story while viewing another character as the main influence of the plot.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.litcharts.com/literary-devices-and-terms/protagonist|title=Protagonist|publisher=LitCharts|access-date=28 April 2021}}</ref>

One example is Nick in '']''.{{Cn|date=December 2023}}

==Further examples==

]' play '']'' may be considered to have two protagonists, though one at a time. Phaedra is the protagonist of the first half, who dies partway through the play. Her stepson, the titular Hippolytus, assumes the dominant role in the second half of the play.<ref>Euripides. ''Hippolytos''. Oxford University Press (October 29, 1992) {{ISBN|978-0195072907}}</ref>

In ]'s play '']'', the protagonist is the architect Halvard Solness. The young woman, Hilda Wangel, whose actions lead to the death of Solness, is the antagonist.<ref>Ibsen, Henrik. Meyer, Michael Leverson. editor. ''Ibsen Plays: 1: Ghosts; The Wild Duck; The Master Builder''. Dramatists Play Service Inc. (1980) {{ISBN|9780413463302}}. page 241</ref>

In Shakespeare's play '']'', Romeo is the protagonist. He is actively in pursuit of his relationship with Juliet, and the audience is invested in that story. Tybalt, as an antagonist, opposes Romeo and attempts to thwart the relationship.<ref>Shakespeare, William. ''Romeo and Juliet''. Bloomsbury Arden Shakespeare; Third edition (July 15, 2012) {{ISBN|9781903436912}}</ref>

In Shakespeare's play '']'', Prince Hamlet, who seeks revenge for the murder of his father, is the protagonist. The antagonist is the character who most opposes Hamlet, Claudius (though, in many ways, Hamlet is his own antagonist).<ref>Shakespeare, William. ''Hamlet''. Simon & Schuster (July 1, 1992) {{ISBN|978-0743477123}}</ref>

Sometimes, a work will have a ], who may seem to be the protagonist, but then may disappear unexpectedly. The character Marion in ]'s film '']'' (1960) is an example.<ref>Kolker, Robert Phillip. ''Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho: A Casebook''. Oxford University Press (2004) {{ISBN|9780195169195}}</ref>

A novel may contain a number of narratives, each with its own protagonist. ]'s '']'', for example, depicts a variety of characters imprisoned and living in a ] camp.<ref>''The Solzhenitsyn Reader: New and Essential Writings, 1947–2005: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn'', Edward E. Ericson, Jr., Daniel J. Mahoney.</ref> ]'s '']'' depicts fifteen major characters involved in or affected by a war.<ref>Moser, Charles. 1992. ''Encyclopedia of Russian Literature''. Cambridge University Press. pp. 298–300.</ref>

Though many people equate protagonists with the term hero and possessing heroic qualities, it is not necessary, as even villainous characters can be protagonists. For example ] from '']'' (1972–1990) film series (1978–1983).

In some cases, the protagonist is not a human: in ]' novel ''],'' a group of ] rabbits, led by the protagonist Hazel, escape their warren after seeing a vision of its destruction, starting a perilous journey to find a new home.<ref>Adams, Richard, 1920–2016. Watership Down. London: Rex Collings Ltd, 1972. Print.</ref>


== References == == References ==
{{reflist}} {{Reflist}}
{{Wiktionary}}

{{Fiction writing}} {{Fiction writing}}
{{Authority control}}


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Latest revision as of 08:48, 18 November 2024

Main character of a creative work For other uses, see Protagonist (disambiguation).
Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. William Morris Hunt, oil on canvas, c. 1864

A protagonist (from Ancient Greek πρωταγωνιστής prōtagōnistḗs 'one who plays the first part, chief actor') is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a story contains a subplot, or is a narrative made up of several stories, then each subplot may have its own protagonist.

The protagonist is the character whose fate is most closely followed by the reader or audience, and who is opposed by the antagonist. The antagonist provides obstacles and complications and creates conflicts that test the protagonist, revealing the strengths and weaknesses of the protagonist's character, and having the protagonist develop as a result.

Etymology

The term protagonist comes from Ancient Greek πρωταγωνιστής (prōtagōnistḗs) 'actor who plays the chief or first part', combined of πρῶτος (prôtos, 'first') and ἀγωνιστής (agōnistḗs, 'actor, competitor'), which stems from ἀγών (agṓn, 'contest') via ἀγωνίζομαι (agōnízomai, 'I contend for a prize').

Ancient Greece

The earliest known examples of a protagonist are found in Ancient Greece. At first, dramatic performances involved merely dancing and recitation by the chorus. Then in Poetics, Aristotle describes how a poet named Thespis introduced the idea of one actor stepping out and engaging in a dialogue with the chorus. This was the invention of tragedy, and occurred about 536 B.C. Then the poet Aeschylus, in his plays, introduced a second actor, inventing the idea of dialogue between two characters. Sophocles then wrote plays that included a third actor.

A description of the protagonist's origin cited that during the early period of Greek drama, the protagonist served as the author, the director, and the actor and that these roles were only separated and allocated to different individuals later. There is also a claim that the poet did not assign or create the protagonist as well as other terms for actors such as deuteragonist and tritagonist primarily because he only gave actors their appropriate part. However, these actors were assigned their specific areas at the stage with the protagonist always entering from the middle door or that the dwelling of the deuteragonist (second most important character) should be on the right hand, and the tritagonist (third most important character), the left.

In Ancient Greece, the protagonist is distinguished from the term "hero", which was used to refer to a human who became a semi-divine being in the narrative.

Types

Hero/Heroine

In literary terms, a hero (masculine) or heroine (feminine) protagonist is typically admired for their achievements and noble qualities. Heroes are lauded for their strength, courage, virtuousness, and honor, and are considered to be the "good guys" of the narrative.

Examples include DC Comics' Superman (hero) and Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games (heroine).

Antihero

Main article: Antihero

An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who lacks conventional heroic qualities and attributes such as idealism, courage, and morality.

Examples include Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye, Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With the Wind, Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby, and Walter White from Breaking Bad.

Tragic hero

Main article: Tragic hero

A tragic hero is the protagonist of a tragedy.

Examples include Oedipus from Oedipus Rex and Prince Hamlet from Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Villain protagonist

The protagonist is not always conventionally good. Contrasting the hero protagonist, a villain protagonist is a protagonist who is a villain, driving the story forward regardless of the evil qualities the main character has. These traits can include being cruel, malicious, and wicked.

Examples include Humbert Humbert in Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita and Richard III in the eponymous play by William Shakespeare.

Supporting protagonist

When a supporting protagonist appears, the story is told from the perspective of a character who appears to be minor. This character may be more peripheral from the events of the story and are not as involved within the "main action" of the plot. The supporting protagonist may be telling the story while viewing another character as the main influence of the plot.

One example is Nick in The Great Gatsby.

Further examples

Euripides' play Hippolytus may be considered to have two protagonists, though one at a time. Phaedra is the protagonist of the first half, who dies partway through the play. Her stepson, the titular Hippolytus, assumes the dominant role in the second half of the play.

In Henrik Ibsen's play The Master Builder, the protagonist is the architect Halvard Solness. The young woman, Hilda Wangel, whose actions lead to the death of Solness, is the antagonist.

In Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is the protagonist. He is actively in pursuit of his relationship with Juliet, and the audience is invested in that story. Tybalt, as an antagonist, opposes Romeo and attempts to thwart the relationship.

In Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Prince Hamlet, who seeks revenge for the murder of his father, is the protagonist. The antagonist is the character who most opposes Hamlet, Claudius (though, in many ways, Hamlet is his own antagonist).

Sometimes, a work will have a false protagonist, who may seem to be the protagonist, but then may disappear unexpectedly. The character Marion in Alfred Hitchcock's film Psycho (1960) is an example.

A novel may contain a number of narratives, each with its own protagonist. Alexander Solzhenitsyn's The First Circle, for example, depicts a variety of characters imprisoned and living in a gulag camp. Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace depicts fifteen major characters involved in or affected by a war.

Though many people equate protagonists with the term hero and possessing heroic qualities, it is not necessary, as even villainous characters can be protagonists. For example Michael Corleone from The Godfather (1972–1990) film series (1978–1983).

In some cases, the protagonist is not a human: in Richard Adams' novel Watership Down, a group of anthropomorphised rabbits, led by the protagonist Hazel, escape their warren after seeing a vision of its destruction, starting a perilous journey to find a new home.

References

  1. πρωταγωνιστής, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek–English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library.
  2. "protagonist". Dictionary.com, Random House. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  3. Harper, Douglas. "protagonist". Online Etymology Dictionary.
  4. Duncan, Stephen. A Guide to Screenwriting Success: Writing for Film and Television. Rowman & Littlefield (2006) ISBN 9780742553019
  5. "Protagonist". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  6. Müller, K.O. History of the literature of Ancient Greece. Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. London (1840) page 306
  7. "Protagonist – literature". Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1 April 2016.
  8. Aristotle. Poetics. Oxford University Press (January 20, 2013) ISBN 978-0199608362
  9. Packard, William. The Art of the Playwright. Thunder's Mouth Press. 1997 ISBN 1-56025-117-4
  10. ^ Storey, Ian; Allan, Arlene (2008). A Guide to Ancient Greek Drama. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. pp. 84. ISBN 978-1405102148.
  11. Telias, Rozei (2018-07-06). Moreno's Personality Theory and its Relationship to Psychodrama: A Philosophical, Developmental and Therapeutic Perspective. Routledge. ISBN 9781351021081.
  12. ^ Bart, M. P. (2018-03-22). History of the Literature of Ancient Greece. Charles River Editors. ISBN 9781632956316.
  13. "Hero". Britannica. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  14. "Hero". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  15. "A Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory". John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  16. "Villain". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  17. Byford, Andy; Doak, Connor; Hutchings, Stephen (2020-01-30). Transnational Russian Studies. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-1-78962-087-0.
  18. The Encyclopedia Americana: A Library of Universal Knowledge. Encyclopedia Americana Corporation. 1918.
  19. "Protagonist". LitCharts. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  20. Euripides. Hippolytos. Oxford University Press (October 29, 1992) ISBN 978-0195072907
  21. Ibsen, Henrik. Meyer, Michael Leverson. editor. Ibsen Plays: 1: Ghosts; The Wild Duck; The Master Builder. Dramatists Play Service Inc. (1980) ISBN 9780413463302. page 241
  22. Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Bloomsbury Arden Shakespeare; Third edition (July 15, 2012) ISBN 9781903436912
  23. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Simon & Schuster (July 1, 1992) ISBN 978-0743477123
  24. Kolker, Robert Phillip. Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho: A Casebook. Oxford University Press (2004) ISBN 9780195169195
  25. The Solzhenitsyn Reader: New and Essential Writings, 1947–2005: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Edward E. Ericson, Jr., Daniel J. Mahoney.
  26. Moser, Charles. 1992. Encyclopedia of Russian Literature. Cambridge University Press. pp. 298–300.
  27. Adams, Richard, 1920–2016. Watership Down. London: Rex Collings Ltd, 1972. Print.
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