Protagonist - Wikipedia

A protagonist (from Ancient Greek πρωταγωνιστής (prōtagōnistḗs) 'one who plays the first part, chief actor') is the main character of a story. Protagonist FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia Jumptonavigation Jumptosearch Maincharacterofacreativework Forotheruses,seeProtagonist(disambiguation). Shakespeare'sHamlet,PrinceofDenmark.WilliamMorrisHunt,oiloncanvas,c.1864 Aprotagonist(fromAncientGreekπρωταγωνιστής(prōtagōnistḗs) 'onewhoplaysthefirstpart,chiefactor')[1][2][3]isthemaincharacterofastory.Theprotagonistmakeskeydecisionsthataffecttheplot,primarilyinfluencingthestoryandpropellingitforward,andisoftenthecharacterwhofacesthemostsignificantobstacles.Ifastorycontainsasubplot,orisanarrativemadeupofseveralstories,theneachsubplotmayhaveitsownprotagonist.[4] Theprotagonististhecharacterwhosefateismostcloselyfollowedbythereaderoraudience,andwhoisopposedbytheantagonist.Theantagonistprovidesobstaclesandcomplicationsandcreatesconflictsthattesttheprotagonist,revealingthestrengthsandweaknessesoftheprotagonist'scharacter. Contents 1Etymology 2AncientGreece 3Types 3.1Hero/Heroine 3.2Antihero 3.3Tragichero 3.4Villainprotagonist 3.5Supportingprotagonist 4Furtherexamples 5References Etymology ThetermprotagonistcomesfromAncientGreekπρωταγωνιστής(prōtagōnistḗs) 'actorwhoplaysthechieforfirstpart',combinedofπρῶτος(prôtos,'first')andἀγωνιστής(agōnistḗs,'actor,competitor'),whichstemsfromἀγών(agṓn,'contest')viaἀγωνίζομαι(agōnízomai,'Icontendforaprize').[5] AncientGreece TheearliestknownexamplesofaprotagonistarefoundinAncientGreece.Atfirst,dramaticperformancesinvolvedmerelydancingandrecitationbythechorus.TheninPoetics,AristotledescribeshowapoetnamedThespisintroducedtheideaofoneactorsteppingoutandengaginginadialoguewiththechorus.Thiswastheinventionoftragedy,andoccurredabout536B.C.[6]ThenthepoetAeschylus,inhisplays,introducedasecondactor,inventingtheideaofdialoguebetweentwocharacters.Sophoclesthenwroteplaysthatincludedathirdactor.[7][8][9][10] Adescriptionoftheprotagonist'sorigincitedthatduringtheearlyperiodofGreekdrama,theprotagonistservedastheauthor,thedirector,andtheactorandthattheseroleswereonlyseparatedandallocatedtodifferentindividualslater.[11]Thereisalsoaclaimthatthepoetdidnotassignorcreatetheprotagonistaswellasothertermsforactorssuchasdeuteragonistandtritagonistprimarilybecauseheonlygaveactorstheirappropriatepart.[12]However,theseactorswereassignedtheirspecificareasatthestagewiththeprotagonistalwaysenteringfromthemiddledoororthatthedwellingofthedeuteragonist(secondmostimportantcharacter)shouldbeontherighthand,andthetritagonist(thirdmostimportantcharacter),theleft.[12] InAncientGreece,theprotagonistisdistinguishedfromtheterm"hero",whichwasusedtorefertoahumanwhobecameasemi-divinebeinginthenarrative.[10] Types Hero/Heroine Inliteraryterms,ahero(masculine)orheroine(feminine)protagonististypicallyadmiredfortheirachievementsandnoblequalities.[13]Heroesarelaudedfortheirstrength,courage,virtuousness,andhonor,andareconsideredtobethe"goodguys"ofthenarrative.[14] ExamplesincludeDCComics'Superman(hero)andKatnissEverdeenfromTheHungerGames(heroine). Antihero Mainarticle:Antihero Anantihero(sometimesspelledasanti-hero)orantiheroineisamaincharacterinastorywholacksconventionalheroicqualitiesandattributessuchasidealism,courage,andmorality. ExamplesincludeHoldenCaulfieldfromTheCatcherintheRye,ScarlettO'HarafromGoneWiththeWindandJayGatsbyfromTheGreatGatsby. Tragichero Mainarticle:Tragichero Atragicheroistheprotagonistofatragedy. ExamplesincludeOedipusfromOedipusRexandPrinceHamletfromShakespeare'sHamlet. Villainprotagonist Theprotagonistisnotalwaysconventionallygood.[15]Contrastingtheheroprotagonist,avillainprotagonistisaprotagonistwhoisavillain,drivingthestoryforwardregardlessoftheevilqualitiesthemaincharacterhas.Thesetraitscanincludebeingcruel,malicious,andwicked.[16] ExamplesincludeHumbertHumbertinVladimirNabokov'sLolita[17]andRichardIIIinWilliamShakespeare'seponymousplay.[18] Supportingprotagonist Whenasupportingprotagonistappears,thestoryistoldfromtheperspectiveofacharacterwhoappearstobeminor.Thischaractermaybemoreperipheralfromtheeventsofthestoryandarenotasinvolvedwithinthe"mainaction"oftheplot.Thesupportingprotagonistmaybetellingthestorywhileviewinganothercharacterasthemaininfluenceoftheplot.[19] ExamplesincludeNickfromTheGreatGatsbyandBilboBagginsfromTheHobbit. Furtherexamples Euripides'playHippolytusmaybeconsideredtohavetwoprotagonists,thoughoneatatime.Phaedraistheprotagonistofthefirsthalf,whodiespartwaythroughtheplay.Herstepson,thetitularHippolytus,assumesthedominantroleinthesecondhalfoftheplay.[20] InHenrikIbsen'splayTheMasterBuilder,theprotagonististhearchitectHalvardSolness.Theyoungwoman,HildaWangel,whoseactionsleadtothedeathofSolness,istheantagonist.[21] InShakespeare'splayRomeoandJuliet,Romeoistheprotagonist.HeisactivelyinpursuitofhisrelationshipwithJuliet,andtheaudienceisinvestedinthatstory.Tybalt,asanantagonist,opposesRomeoandattemptstothwarttherelationship.[22] InShakespeare'splayHamlet,PrinceHamlet,whoseeksrevengeforthemurderofhisfather,istheprotagonist.TheantagonististhecharacterwhomostopposesHamlet,Claudius(though,inmanyways,Hamletishisownantagonist).[23] Sometimes,aworkwillhaveafalseprotagonist,whomayseemtobetheprotagonist,butthenmaydisappearunexpectedly.ThecharacterMarioninAlfredHitchcock'sfilmPsycho(1960)isanexample.[24] Anovelmaycontainanumberofnarratives,eachwithitsownprotagonist.AlexanderSolzhenitsyn'sTheFirstCircle,forexample,depictsavarietyofcharactersimprisonedandlivinginagulagcamp.[25]LeoTolstoy'sWarandPeacedepictsfifteenmajorcharactersinvolvedinoraffectedbyawar.[26] Thoughmanypeopleequateprotagonistswiththetermheroandpossessingheroicqualities,itisnotnecessary,asevenvillainouscharacterscanbeprotagonists.ForexampleMichaelCorleonefromTheGodfather(1972–1990)filmseries(1978–1983). Insomecases,theprotagonistisnotahuman:inRichardAdams'novelWatershipDown,agroupofanthropomorphisedrabbits,ledbytheprotagonistHazel,escapetheirwarrenafterseeingavisionofitsdestruction,startingaperilousjourneytofindanewhome.[27] References ^πρωταγωνιστής,HenryGeorgeLiddell,RobertScott,AGreek–EnglishLexicon,onPerseusDigitalLibrary. ^"protagonist".Dictionary.com,RandomHouse.RetrievedNovember17,2017. ^Harper,Douglas."protagonist".OnlineEtymologyDictionary. ^Duncan,Stephen.AGuidetoScreenwritingSuccess:WritingforFilmandTelevision.Rowman&Littlefield(2006)ISBN 9780742553019 ^"Protagonist".OnlineEtymologyDictionary.Retrieved28April2021. ^Müller,K.O.HistoryoftheliteratureofAncientGreece.[LibraryofUsefulKnowledge.]SocietyfortheDiffusionofUsefulKnowledge.London(1840)page306 ^"Protagonist–literature".EncyclopaediaBritannica.1April2016. ^Aristotle.Poetics.OxfordUniversityPress(January20,2013)ISBN 978-0199608362 ^Packard,William.TheArtofthePlaywright.Thunder'sMouthPress.1997ISBN 1-56025-117-4 ^abStorey,Ian;Allan,Arlene(2008).AGuidetoAncientGreekDrama.Malden,MA:BlackwellPublishing.pp. 84.ISBN 978-1405102148. ^Telias,Rozei(2018-07-06).Moreno'sPersonalityTheoryanditsRelationshiptoPsychodrama:APhilosophical,DevelopmentalandTherapeuticPerspective.Routledge.ISBN 9781351021081. ^abBart,M.P.(2018-03-22).HistoryoftheLiteratureofAncientGreece.CharlesRiverEditors.ISBN 9781632956316. ^"Hero".Britannica.Retrieved28April2021. ^"Hero".Merriam-Webster.Retrieved28April2021. ^"ADictionaryofLiteraryTermsandLiteraryTheory".JohnWiley&Sons,Incorporated.Retrieved28April2021. ^"Villain".Dictionary.com.Retrieved28April2021. ^Byford,Andy;Doak,Connor;Hutchings,Stephen(2020-01-30).TransnationalRussianStudies.OxfordUniversityPress.ISBN 978-1-78962-087-0. ^TheEncyclopediaAmericana:ALibraryofUniversalKnowledge.EncyclopediaAmericanaCorporation.1918. ^"Protagonist".LitCharts.Retrieved28April2021. ^Euripides.Hippolytos.OxfordUniversityPress(October29,1992)ISBN 978-0195072907 ^Ibsen,Henrik.Meyer,MichaelLeverson.editor.IbsenPlays:1:Ghosts;TheWildDuck;TheMasterBuilder.DramatistsPlayServiceInc.(1980)ISBN 9780413463302.page241 ^Shakespeare,William.RomeoandJuliet.BloomsburyArdenShakespeare;Thirdedition(July15,2012)ISBN 9781903436912 ^Shakespeare,William.Hamlet.Simon&Schuster(July1,1992)ISBN 978-0743477123 ^Kolker,RobertPhillip.AlfredHitchcock'sPsycho:ACasebook.OxfordUniversityPress(2004)ISBN 9780195169195 ^TheSolzhenitsynReader:NewandEssentialWritings,1947–2005:AleksandrSolzhenitsyn,EdwardE.Ericson,Jr.,DanielJ.Mahoney. ^Moser,Charles.1992.EncyclopediaofRussianLiterature.CambridgeUniversityPress.pp.298–300. ^Adams,Richard,1920–2016.WatershipDown.London:RexCollingsLtd,1972.Print. LookupprotagonistinWiktionary,thefreedictionary. vteNarrativeCharacter Antagonist Antihero Archenemy Characterarc Characterflaw Characterization Confidant Deuteragonist Falseprotagonist Focalcharacter Foil Gothicdouble Hamartia Hero Narrator Protagonist Stockcharacter Straightman Supportingcharacter Titlecharacter Tragichero Tritagonist Villain Plot Action Backstory Originstory Chekhov'sgun Cliché Cliffhanger Conflict Deusexmachina Dialogue Dramaticstructure Eucatastrophe Foreshadowing Flashback/Flashforward Framestory Inmediasres/Abovo Kishōtenketsu MacGuffin Occam'srazor Pace Plotdevice Plottwist Poeticjustice Redherring Reveal Self-fulfillingprophecy Shaggydogstory Storyarc Subplot Suspense Trope Setting Alternatehistory Backstory Crossover Dreamworld Dystopia/Utopia Fictionallocation city country universe Worldbuilding Theme Irony Leitmotif Metaphor Moral Motif DealwiththeDevil Conflictbetweengoodandevil Style Allegory Bathos Comicrelief Diction Figureofspeech Imagery Mode Mood Narration Narrativetechniques Show,don'ttell Stylisticdevice Suspensionofdisbelief Symbolism Tone Structure Act Actstructure Three-actstructure Freytag'sPyramid Exposition/Protasis Risingaction/Epitasis Climax/Peripeteia Fallingaction/Catastasis Denouement/Catastrophe Linearnarrative Nonlinearnarrative films televisionseries Premise Typesoffictionwithmultipleendings Form Drama Fabliau Flashfiction Folklore Fable Fairytale Legend Myth Talltale Gamebook Narrativepoetry Epicpoetry Novel Novella Parable Shortstory Vignette Genre(List) Fiction Actionfiction Adventure Comic Crime Docufiction Epistolary Erotic Historical Mystery Nautical Paranoid Philosophical Picaresque Political Popculture Psychological Religious Rogue Romance Chivalric Prose Saga Satire Speculative Fantasy Gothic Horror Magicrealism Science Superhero Theological Thriller Urban Western Nonfiction Novel Narration First-person Multiplenarrators Streamofconsciousness Streamofunconsciousness Unreliable Diegesis Self-insertion Tense Past Present Future Related Creativenonfiction Dominantnarrative Fictionwriting Continuity Canon Reboot Retcon Prequel/Sequel Literaryscience Literarytheory Narrativetherapy Narratology Politicalnarrative Rhetoric Screenwriting Storytelling Tellability Authoritycontrol:Nationallibraries Germany Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Protagonist&oldid=1104608044" Categories:AncientGreektheatreProtagonistsbyrolePsychodramaHiddencategories:ArticleswithshortdescriptionShortdescriptionmatchesWikidataWikipediapagessemi-protectedfrombannedusersArticleswithGNDidentifiers Navigationmenu Personaltools NotloggedinTalkContributionsCreateaccountLogin Namespaces ArticleTalk English Views ReadViewsourceViewhistory More Search Navigation MainpageContentsCurrenteventsRandomarticleAboutWikipediaContactusDonate Contribute HelpLearntoeditCommunityportalRecentchangesUploadfile Tools WhatlinkshereRelatedchangesUploadfileSpecialpagesPermanentlinkPageinformationCitethispageWikidataitem Print/export DownloadasPDFPrintableversion Languages AfrikaansالعربيةAzərbaycancaБългарскиČeštinaDanskDeutschEestiEspañolEsperantoEuskaraفارسیFrançaisFrysk한국어Հայերենहिन्दीHrvatskiIdoBahasaIndonesiaÍslenskaItalianoעבריתქართულიLietuviųMagyarМакедонскиBahasaMelayuNederlands日本語NorskbokmålOccitanਪੰਜਾਬੀPolskiPortuguêsRomânăРусиньскыйРусскийShqipSimpleEnglishSlovenčinaSlovenščinaکوردیСрпски/srpskiSuomiSvenskaไทยТоҷикӣTürkçeУкраїнськаTiếngViệt粵語中文 Editlinks