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protagonist

protagonist

69 4.4
The main character in a book, film, or play who faces the story's main problems
  • noun
  • /prəˈtæɡənɪst/
translation icon : protagonista
  • In the novel, the protagonist struggles to overcome her fears and ultimately finds herself.
  • the novel's protagonist
  • protagonist of the story
  • protagonist's character

So there are consequences if that protagonist doesn't succeed.

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Examples

  • Between 1937 and 2005, there were only 13 female protagonists in animated movies.

  • Historical fiction makes us feel, as the protagonist does, what would otherwise be dry facts.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Oh, people think the main character, the protagonist, has all the power.

  • You see, it's important we give our protagonist a bit of mystery.

  • And not surprisingly, our protagonist in that book was a cat named Tom.

  • All my own rare editions have the same protagonist.

  • If your script makes us want to see what happens next to the protagonist, that's enough.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Rather, the reader's identification with the protagonist is actually increased by the revelation of the truth.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • And for our audience, who doesn't know this story, the protagonist, her name is Connie.

  • Prince Myshkin is the protagonist of Dostoevsky’s “The Idiot”.

Synonyms

hero
vsprotagonist
159 1.4

The main character in a play, film, or book that the audience follows

is the neutral focal figure without implying admiration
main character
vsprotagonist
68 2.4

The most important person in a story like a book or movie

is focused on the plot centering around that figure
heroine
vsprotagonist
30 3.6

The main female character in a story who is brave or admired

is the neutral focal figure without specifying gender or praise

Antonyms

19 6.3

A person who opposes another person, often in a story or argument

How Central

protagonist
69 4.4
minor role
3 3.5
extra
32 3.5

Surface Forms

protagonist singular
protagonists plural

Etymology

Protagonist comes from Greek parts proto- ('first') and agon ('contest' or 'actor'), so it originally meant the 'first actor' in a play. Think of prototype for 'first' and actor for the person on stage, which is why a protagonist is the main character around whom the story centers.