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的protagonist is the central character of a text, and they are essential to many works of literature as it is their journey that readers follow. However, there's much more to the protagonist than them being the main character. Let's take a further look into the meaning of the word 'protagonist', the roles a protagonist canplaywithin texts, and some examples of famous protagonists.
Aprotagonistis the main character in a text who plays an active role in theplot.的reader follows the protagonist's journey most closely in comparison to other characters.
的protagonist isthe driving force of a story, and it is the protagonist's attempts at pursuing a goal that are followed most closely, as their decisions are observed and followed by the reader. Other words for 'protagonist' include:
的etymology of the word 'protagonist' dates back to the Greek word,prōtagōnistēs, meaning 'actor who plays the chief or first part'. The wordprōtagōnistēsis derived fromprōtosmeaning 'first' andagōnistēsmeaning 'actor', or 'competitor'.
What's one of the first things you have to think about before you can begin to really delve into the complexities of writing a story? Knowing who your protagonist (or protagonists!) is definitely one of these vital first steps due to their central position in the story's development.
However, although the protagonist is often the focal point of a text, this does not mean that the protagonist is always the narrator – the story can also be told from a third-personpoint of view, or even by characters who are not the protagonist.
Something else to keep in mind is that, if the protagonist is narrating the story, this does not necessarily mean that the contents of the story are being told in a factual or unbiased way – your protagonist could be anunreliable narrator.通常,并不是所有是prota明确表示gonist, as there may be information that the writer chooses to keep hidden from them. You can use this technique to develop the character of your protagonist as they gradually discover new information over the course of the story.
1. Make your protagonist complexby giving yourprotagonist a multi-layered personality withamixture of traits, both good and bad.
2. Make your protagonist relatableby observing the characteristics and behaviours reflected in yourself and the people around you to make your protagonist more human. Some writers want to make their protagonist unrelatable and that's perfectly fine! However, it is important to retain a human element so that readers can sympathise with your character and, as a result, want to follow their story!
3. Add stakes to your protagonist's storyby creating an 'all or nothing' situation. Readers need to feel like the protagonist has to keep pushing forward with their progress. At the same time, the quest for the protagonist's development must feel achievable.
Jay Gatsby is the protagonist in F. Scott Fitzgerald'snovel的Great Gatsby.However, even though Jay Gatsby is the protagonist of thenovel, thenovelis narrated by a supporting character, Nick Carraway. As thenovelfocuses on Gatsby's life through Carraway's viewpoint, the reader is only aware of the protagonist's thoughts, feelings, and experiences when Carraway is permitted to find out.
Why do you think the author may have chosen to narrate Jay Gatsby's experiences through Nick Carraway's perspective? What effect could this have on the reader's impression of the text?
Offred is the protagonist and first-person narrator inMargaret Atwood'snovel,的Handmaid's Tale.Offred's real name is not made explicitly clear, but it is assumed by many readers to be 'June'. This is because, when the Handmaids whisper their names to each other in The Red Centre (where they are prepared for their roles as Handmaids), 'June' is the only name that never appears again. The name 'Offred' is given to her by the oppressive regime of the Republic of Gilead that she lives in. The reader is exposed to Gilead through the internal conflicts and thoughts of Offred, as she experiences it herself. Although Offred is the protagonist and narrator, this does not give the readers all the information that they would want. This is because Offred navigates this new society and the readers navigate it through and with her.
Why might an author use first-person narration to portray the experiences of their protagonist? How might this affect the reader's connection to the main character?
Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet are the protagonists inWilliam Shakespeare'splay,Romeo and Juliet.AlthoughRomeo and Julietare the protagonists, they are not the narrators of their own story in thisplay.It is not explicitly clear who the narrator is or to whom the narrator is speaking – this is called indirect narration. There are also elements of direct narration where the narrator speaks directly to the audience. The unknown, nameless narrator is used to explain the events of theplayand sheds light on some of theplay's themes.
LordMacbeth, the Thane of Glamis and, later, the Thane of Cawdor, is the protagonist of another ofWilliam Shakespeare's plays,Macbeth.Although Lord Macbeth is the protagonist, he is not the narrator. The audience follows the story by observing Macbeth's actions and listening to thedialogueto gain more information about theplot.Macbethalso features three witches who narrate the tale by offering commentary on the events that unfold. However, since Macbeth is not the narrator, the reader must use skills of inference as his internal thoughts are not always explicit unless he or the narrators choseto voice them.
A false protagonist refers to a protagonist who readers assume is the main character in a text before it is revealed that this is not the case. After the focus on the false protagonist is interrupted in some way, the writer then switches to the 'true' protagonist. This changes the lens through which readers experience theplot, and can also serve to disorient the reader.
George R. R. Martin'sA Game of Thrones(1996) follows the protagonist Ned Stark, and it is from hispoint of viewthat most of the story is told. However, Ned Stark is later killed off and replaced with various other protagonists.
A hero is a type of protagonist who does traditionally heroicacts. Amongst these heroic acts, questions of morality and good decision-making may be highlighted as integral to the performance of heroism. These acts of heroism may be beneficial not only to the hero but also to others, contributing to the idea that the protagonist is the 'good guy' or hero of the story.
的folkloretales of the legend of King Arthur features King Arthur as a hero because he defended Britain against Saxon invaders in the late 5th and early 6th Century.
A female protagonist is called a 'heroine'. However, the term 'hero' does not exclusively need to be used for a male protagonist, whilst the term 'heroine' is exclusively used for a female protagonist.
An antihero is a type of protagonist who has characteristics not typically associated with a traditional hero. Antiheroes are protagonists because it is their story that is followed by the reader. The antihero's journey is documented by the writer. An antihero is a character that does not have typically 'heroic' characteristics such as being an unmatched warrior who is also humble, kind, and positive. Instead, an antihero could be cynical and a realist, they could have good intentions but show no remorse when their 'bad' methods have poor results.
Jay Gatsby is the antihero of F. Scott Fitzgerald's的Great Gatsby.His dreams of success are pursued through unsavoury acts and his rejection of his past. His greed fuels his actions, yet readers still root for him to achieve the aim of being with his love, Daisy Buchanan.
An antagonist is the opposite of a protagonist. We do not necessarily follow the journey of the antagonist, but the antagonist is central to creatingconflictin a text. The protagonist then reacts to the conflict that the antagonist creates, and the decisions the protagonist makes to deal with this conflict drive the story forward.
的antagonist is traditionally villainous. There may be a single antagonist or multiple antagonists. It is common for an antagonist to have opposing values to the protagonist, and it is thisconflictin character or morals that causes friction between the protagonist and antagonist. The antagonist does not always have to cause directconflictby having typically villainous traits, but there is something about them that provokes the protagonist.
Antagonists can be seen as an obstacle to the protagonist. With this in mind, the antagonist does not always have to be a character; the antagonist could also be an idea, concept, system or institution, for example.
Top tip:an easy way torememberthe purpose of an antagonist in a story is to remember that the antagonist 'antagonises' the protagonist. By provoking a reaction in the protagonist, the antagonist aids in the development of the story.
的main antagonist of的Great GatsbyisTom Buchanan.He is the main obstacle between Jay Gatsby and the attainment of his goal: his reunion with his former lover Daisy Buchanan.
的main antagonist of的Handmaid's Taleis the regime ofthe Republic of Gilead.的protagonist, Offred, must navigate her survival under the oppressive regime which prevents her from attaining what she wants from life.
的main antagonists ofRomeo and Julietarethe Montague and Capulet familieswho keep the two protagonists,Romeo and Juliet, away from each other. The old feud between the two families serves as the obstacle that keepsRomeo and Julietapart despite their love for one another.
的antagonist or antagonists inMacbethcan be multiple different characters depending on who you ask! In some cases,Macbethcan be considered his own antagonist because his ambition and greed provoke him to kill Duncan and Banquo on his quest to seize the throne. However, you could also consider Duncan, Banquo, and any other possible threats to Macbeth seizing the throne as antagonists, because they provoke Macbeth to carry out immoral actions.
A female protagonist is called a heroine.
In a story, a protagonist is who readers follow. Readers witness the protagonist's journey and decisions.
的protagonist and antagonist are essential components in a text. The antagonist provokes the protagonist to drive the story forward with their actions and decisions in reaction to this provocation.
A protagonist is the main character in a text. The reader follows the protagonist’s journey most closely in comparison to other characters.
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