Poetry Foundation, 2019, Chicago, IL. Antagonist definition, a person who is opposed to, struggles against, or competes with another; opponent; adversary. After one of his lengthy torture sessions, O’Brien tells Winston: Antagonists are not always people. But not this man, Mr. Finch.”. Conflict — a good fight — is why we read or watch. Literature, a body of written works. What is an antagonist? Through his depiction of the chilling, unpredictable transformations of the virtuous Dr. Jekyll into the murderous Mr. Hyde, Stevenson portrays the war for control between the “angel” and the “fiend” he contends live in all people. The term “antagonist” comes from the Greek word antagonistēs, which means “opponent,” “competitor,” or “rival.”. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). In the novel “The Last Battle” by C.S. An antagonist may also be a force or institution, such as a government, with which the protagonist must contend. It’s a sin and I’m not about to have it on my head. The antagonist can take many forms, including an individual character, a force, or a group or institution. Bob Ewell is a malicious antagonist in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mocking Bird. The antagonist is the opposing force in a story. He separated his “evil-self” and gave him a separate identity, thus inventing his own antagonist who, as a result, brings his downfall. Omissions? In some cases, an antagonist may exist within the protagonist that causes an inner conflict or a moral conflict inside his mind. Hyde is the manifestation of the evil that existed in the honorable Dr. Jekyll. In the following passage, Walter demonstrates his unexpected pride in his criminal prowess, barking at her: In the story’s final episode, Walter admits to himself that concerns for his family’s financial future had merely been an excuse for his actions: In his classic dystopian novel, “1984,” George Orwell uses a foil character named O’Brien to reveal the story’s real antagonists: a tyrannical government called the “Party” and its omnipresent citizen surveillance system “Big Brother.”. Antagonist, in literature, the principal opponent or foil of the main character, who is referred to as the protagonist, in a drama or narrative. "Things you may not have noticed about Lord Voldemort." Iago tricks Othello into wrongly believing that the ever-faithful Desdemona had been cheating on him and finally convinces him to kill her. The true antagonist is always the basic source or cause of the conflict in the story. The word is from the Greek antagnistḗs, “opponent or He turns to making and selling the illegal drug crystal meth in order to ensure his family’s future financial stability. In Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic 1886 novel “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Dr. Jekyll is the protagonist. Jekyll creates Hyde by a series of scientific experiments in order to prove his statement: He means that a human soul is a mixture of evil and good. An antagonist can also be a thing or force that is getting in the main character’s way. Here’s a quick and simple definition: An antagonist is usually a character who opposes the protagonist (or main character) of a story, but the antagonist can also be a group of characters, institution, or force against which the protagonist must contend. WritingExplained, 2019. Antagonists often serve as foil characters to protagonists by embodying the qualities and values that fuel the fires of conflict between them. Lewis, a treacherous ape named “Shift” orchestrates events that result in the final days of the land of Narnia. At one point in the play, Iago plants the seeds of doubt about Desdemona’s faithfulness in Othello’s mind by warning him of the infamous “green-ey’d monster,” or jealousy. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. His own alternate persona, Mr. Hyde, is the antagonist. Antagonist Definition. But since that formula can become overly predictable, authors often create different types of antagonists to create different types of conflict. The presence of an antagonist alongside a protagonist is vital for the typical formula of a plot. The protagonist-antagonist relationship can be as simple as a hero versus a villain. A villain is always an “evil” character, but as shown in the preceding examples, not all antagonists are necessarily evil or even true villains. In a story, the antagonist (pronounced an-TAG-oh-nist) is the When Walter’s wife, Skyler, learns of her husband’s secret life, she expresses her fears for his safety. He embraces his villainy, simultaneously repelling and captivating viewers. The antagonist opposes the protagonist in his endeavors, and thus the conflict ensues. Definition of Antagonist. The thing that separates Iago from other antagonists is that we do not really know why he wants to destroy Othello. It is common to refer to an antagonist as a villain (the bad guy), against whom a Hero (the good guy) fights in order to save himself or others. A simple example of an antagonist is Lord Voldemort, the notorious dark wizard in the Harry Potter novels of J.K. Rowling. This concept of the internal antagonist is perhaps best expressed in this quote from Chapter 10, in which Dr. Jekyll comes to realize that he is being consumed by the evil side of his own persona: In the acclaimed AMC Network TV series “Breaking Bad,” Walter White is a classic example of a heroic antagonist. In defense of Boo over the killing of Bob Ewell, Heck Tate said: “To my way of thinkin’, Mr Finch, taking the one man who’s done you and this town a great favour an’ draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight – to me, that’s a sin. An antagonist may also be a force or institution, such as a government, with which the protagonist must contend. Antagonists (an-TAG-uh-nist) are characters who oppose the protagonist and create narrative conflict by challenging, obstructing, or confronting them. Corrections? Another example of an antagonist is the character of Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello. It is common to refer to an antagonist as a villain (the bad guy), against whom a hero (the good guy) fights in order to save himself or others. An antagonist in literature is usually a character or a group of characters that oppose the story’s main character, who is known as the protagonist. Antagonist has the prefix "anti-" in it, which means "against". In his novel Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson explores the theme of doppelganger in which Hyde is not only an evil double of the honorable Dr. Jekyll, but his antagonist. In other words, every man’s antagonist exists within himself. As his criminal skills improve, Walter becomes fantastically successful, wealthy, and dangerous. Iago stands as one of the most notorious villains of all time, having spent all of his time plotting against Othello, the protagonist, and his wife Desdemona. https://www.britannica.com/art/antagonist-literature. Later, the conflict is resolved with the defeat of the antagonist; or, as in tragedies, with the downfall of the protagonist. In some cases, an antagonist may exist within the protagonist that causes an inner conflict or a moral conflict inside his mind. As the most common type of antagonist, the “bad guy” villain — driven by evil or selfish intentions — tries to hinder or stop the “good guy” protagonist. A classical example of an antagonist is that of King Creon in Sophocles’ tragedy Antigone. Generally, an antagonist appears as a foil to the main character, embodying qualities that are in contrast with the qualities of the main character. This inner conflict is a major theme of many literary works, such as Doctor Faustus, by Christopher Marlowe, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, and A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. It could be a human enemy, or it could be non-human, like an animal or something less tangible, like fear. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, Use a Concept Map for Your Literature Midterms and Finals, A Brief Introduction to Gothic Literature, Classic Literature for the Supernatural Lover, 10 Classic Poems on Gardens and Gardening. Robert Longley is a U.S. government and history expert with over 30 years of experience in municipal government. In the Bible’s Book of Genesis, an unnamed snake beguiles Adam and Eve into eating the forbidden fruit, thus committing humanity’s “original sin.” Natural disasters, like earthquakes, storms, fires, plagues, famines, and asteroids are other often-seen, non-living antagonists. The protagonist struggles against the antagonist, taking the plot to a climax. Well-known as a respectable Victorian gentleman, Jekyll could never have fulfilled his evil desires. One of the best-known antagonists in literature, Iago is out to destroy Othello and his wife Desdemona. "Creative Writing: A Guide and Glossary to Fiction Writing." This inner conflict is a major theme of many literary works, such as Doctor Faustus, by Christopher Marlowe, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, and A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce. Through his evil schemes, Iago convinces Othello that his wife has been cheating on him, and even convinces him to kill his own wife despite her being faithful to him. Now that’s a villain. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Antigone, the protagonist, struggles against King Creon, the antagonist, in her effort to give her brother a respectable burial. While the terms “villain” and “antagonist” are sometimes used interchangeably, this is not always true. Literature may be classified according to a variety of systems,…. "Protagonist vs. Antagonist – What’s the Difference?" He has written for ThoughtCo since 1997. Antagonist, in literature, the principal opponent or foil of the main character, who is referred to as the protagonist, in a drama or narrative. The word is from the Greek antagnistḗs, “opponent or rival.”. Updates? Generally, an antagonist appears as a foil t… 1st Edition, Polity, December 7, 2006. You may be wondering why the antagonist definition says an antagonist “could be" a "bad guy", but doesn’t have to be. Antagonists may also be forces, events, organizations, or creatures. All Rights Reserved. See more. Ewell keeps on following Atticus, Judge Taylor, and Helen Robinson – even after the case is finished – and goes to the extent that he almost kills the Finch kids. Antagonist Definition. Writers use the antagonist-versus-protagonist relationship to create conflict. Antagonists often serve as foil characters to protagonists. If it was any other man, it’d be different. "Robert Louis Stevenson." Through his evil designs, Creon tries to hamper her in this attempt by announcing that her brother was a traitor, and decreeing that “he must be left to the elements.” This protagonist-antagonist conflict becomes the theme of this tragedy.
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