Antagonist

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the literary term. For the pharmacological term, see receptor antagonist. For other
uses, see Antagonist (disambiguation).

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An antagonist is a character, group of characters, institution, or concept that stands in or represents
opposition against which the protagonist(s) must contend. In other words, an antagonist is a person or a
group of people who opposes a protagonist.[1]

Contents
[hide]

1Etymology

2Types
o

2.1Heroes and villains

2.2Other characters

2.3Aspects of the protagonist

2.4Non-corporeal

3Usage

4See also

5References

Etymology[edit]
The English word antagonist comes from the Greek -antagonists , "opponent,
competitor, villain, enemy, rival," which is derived from anti-("against") and agonizesthai ("to contend for
a prize").[2][3]

Types[edit]
Heroes and villains[edit]
In the classic style of stories where the action consists of a hero fighting a villain/enemy, the two may be
regarded as protagonist and antagonist, respectively. However, the villain of the story is not always the
same as the antagonist, as some narratives cast the villain in the protagonist role, with the opposing
hero as the antagonist.
An antagonist also may represent a threat or obstacle to the main character by its existence and not
necessarily targeting him or her in a deliberate manner.

Examples in both film and theatre include Sauron, the main antagonist in The Lord of the Rings, who
constantly battles the series' protagonists, and Tybalt, an antagonist in Romeo and Juliet, who
slays Mercutio and whose later death results in the exiling of one of the play's protagonists, Romeo. In
stories, a convention of antagonists is that their moral choices are less savory than those of
protagonists. This is often used by an author to create conflict within a story. However, this is merely a
convention, and the reversal of this can be seen in the character Macduf from Macbeth, who is arguably
morally correct in his desire to fight the tyrant Macbeth.
An antagonist may be a sympathetic character who the audience identify with, such as Wile E. Coyote,
who is unable to catch the Road Runner.[4]

Other characters[edit]
Characters may be antagonists without being villainous or evil they may simply be injudicious and
unlikeable for the audience. In some stories, such as The Catcher in the Rye, almost every character
other than the protagonist may be an antagonist.[5]

Aspects of the protagonist[edit]

An aspect or trait of the protagonist may be considered an antagonist, such as morality or
indecisiveness.[5]

Non-corporeal[edit]
An antagonist may not always be a person or persons. In some cases, an antagonist may be a force,
such as a tidal wave that destroys a city; a storm that causes havoc; or even a certain area's conditions
that are the root cause of a problem. An antagonist also may or may not create obstacles for the
protagonist.[6]
Societal norms or other rules also may be antagonists.[5]

Usage[edit]
An antagonist is used as a plot device, to set up conflicts, obstacles, or challenges for the protagonist.[5]
[7]
Though not every story requires an antagonist, it often is used in plays to increase the level of drama.
In tragedies, antagonists are often the cause of the protagonist's main problem, or lead a group of
characters against the protagonist; in comedies, they are usually responsible for involving the
protagonist in comedic situations.[7]

See also[edit]

Fictional characters portal

Literature portal

Archenemy

Villain

References[edit]
1.

Jump up^ About.com, Literature: Contemporary "Antagonist." Online. October

18, 2007.

"Protagonist and Antagonist definition". Grammarist.com. Retrieved 25

March 2015.

"Glossary of Literary Terms". Retrieved on 27 March 2015.

"Glossary of Drama Terms". Online Learning Center. Retrieved on 27

March 2015.

"Antagonist - Definition for Fiction Writers". About.com. Retrieved on 27

March 2015.

2.

Jump up^ "Antagonist". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 28

November 2010.

3.

Jump up^ "antagonist". Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford University
Press. September 2005. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

4.

Jump up^ Accardi-Petersen, Michelle (2012). Agile Marketing. Apress.

p. 29. ISBN 978-1-430-23316-9.

5.

^ Jump up to:a b c d Bulman, Colin (2007). Creative Writing: A Guide and Glossary
to Fiction Writing. Polity Press. p. 17. ISBN 9780745636870 via Google Books.

6.
7.

Jump up^ "The Elements of Literature". roanestate.edu.

^ Jump up to:a b Smiley, Sam (2005) [First published 1971 by PrenticeHall]. Playwriting: The Structure of Action. Yale University Press. pp. 133
134. ISBN 0300107242 via Google Books.