What is the definition of protagonist?
The definition of protagonist is the central character of a narrative.
Protagonist
Last Updated on February 25, 2021, by eNotes Editorial. Word Count: 133
Protagonist - the leading character of a drama, novel, etc. This is not always the hero, but is always the principal and central character whose rival is the antagonist.
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The term is from the Greek protagonistes, meaning “first actor in a drama.”
The Greek tragic poet was restricted to three actors: protagonist, deuteragonist, and tritagonist, or first, second, and third actor. In contests between actors, only the protagonists were considered.
Originally, Greek drama probably consisted of only a Chorus and the leader of the Chorus. Thespis (Sixth Century B.C.) added the first actor, Aeschylus the second, and Sophocles the third.
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Some famous protagonists are Hester Prynne from Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Atticus Finch from Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, and the title character of Hamlet.
see: antagonist
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