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Literature vocabulary · Character and Characterization

Protagonist

Meaning in literature, with examples

/prəˈtæɡənɪst/nounCore term

In literature, protagonist means: The main character of a story, whose goals, problems and choices drive the plot and whom the reader follows most closely.

In Turkish: başkahraman, ana karakter, baş kişi

How it is used

A standard analysis term, more formal than 'main character'. Essays discuss the protagonist's motives, journey and development. The protagonist does not have to be good or likable; many modern novels have morally doubtful protagonists.

Example sentences

  1. The protagonist spends most of the novel trying to escape her family's expectations.

  2. Is Raskolnikov a protagonist we are supposed to sympathize with?

Common collocations

  • the protagonist's journey
  • female protagonist
  • young protagonist
  • unlikable protagonist
  • antagonistThe character or force that opposes the main character and creates the central conflict of a story.
  • characterA person, or sometimes an animal or creature, who takes part in the events of a story, play or poem.
  • antiheroA main character who lacks traditional heroic qualities such as courage, honesty or nobility, but whom readers still follow and may sympathize with.
  • conflictThe struggle between opposing forces in a story, such as two characters, a character and society, or a character and their own desires, which drives the plot.

More terms: Character and Characterization

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