Protagonist Facts & Worksheets

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The protagonist is the main character whose actions drive the plot and whose outcome matters most. In other words, they play a part in the storyline or conflict of the story and are frequently crucial to it, but they are also typically the emotional center of the story.

See the fact file below for more information about the Protagonist, or download the comprehensive worksheet pack, which contains 5 worksheets and can be used in the classroom or homeschooling environment.

Key Facts & Information

History

• The word “protagonist” is derived from the Ancient Greek “prōtagōnistḗs,” which means “actor who performs the primary or first role,” and “agōnistḗs,” which means “actor, competitor,” from “agṓn” which means “contest,” via “agōnízomai,” meaning “I contend for a prize.”
• Ancient Greece contains the first known examples of a protagonist. Dramatic performances initially consisted just of chorus recitation and dance.
• Thespis, a poet, is credited with introducing the concept of one actor going out and having a conversation with the chorus in Poetics. This tragedy’s conception took place about 536 B.C.E. Then, the playwright Aeschylus added a second actor to his plays, creating the concept of dialogue between two characters. Sophocles then composed plays with a third actor.
• According to a depiction of the protagonist’s history, the protagonist first fulfilled the roles of author, director, and actor in Greek theater; these positions weren’t split and given to various people until much later.
• Another argument is that the poet gave players their proper part and did not assign or invent the protagonist or other titles for actors like deuteragonist and tritagonist.

Concept

• Any work of art with characters and a plot can have a protagonist, including books, movies, poetry, plays, operas, etc. Most stories include just one main character. However, if a story has many stories or a subplot, it’s feasible for each one to have its own protagonist.
• The audience constantly sympathizes with and supports the protagonists, even if they aren’t always “good”—many are dishonest or even criminal.
• The antagonist is a character who opposes or works against the protagonist in a story. Not every story with a protagonist also features an adversary. While there can be villainous protagonists, a villain is an antagonist when they are the primary cause of conflict for the main characters rather than the story’s main character.
• Antonyms of each other are the protagonist and antagonist. While antagonists are often the bad ones, protagonists are typically the nice guys (even if that occasionally makes them antiheroes).
• An adversary need not be malicious; he only opposes the protagonist’s (in a novel) actions, thoughts, goals, etc. The phrase says nothing about the character’s true characteristics and serves only as a storyline role.
• The great majority of stories feature at least one protagonist since they are one of the fundamental elements of a story. A tale feels more unified when it has one main character for the viewers to follow. All of the aspects in the tale are frequently connected by this character.
• Because the audience can identify with and root for the protagonist while the plot’s conflict plays out, having a protagonist tends to make a tale more engaging. Since the protagonist is at the center of the narrative, it is frequently, via this persona, that the audience learns the main themes of the narrative. The protagonist could stand up for a certain cause or concept, or they might have a discovery that becomes the story’s central theme.
• Although we frequently associate the term “protagonist” with the main character in a fictitious story, it may also refer to circumstances and narratives that take place in real life.
• An autobiography, for instance, is a truthful account written by the person who experienced it. In other words, even though the story is based on reality, it is still a story with people who happen to exist in our world.
• In other words, the autobiography’s author also serves as the narrative’s main character. This may be conceptualized in terms of who we are; we each lead unique lives and tell unique stories.
• In well-written stories, protagonists have flaws, faults, and issues. In horror fiction, the killer might be the protagonist. In a horror narrative, the protagonist could also be a victim. Remember that not all protagonists are likable. Thus you don’t have to like the protagonist. 

Types of Protagonist

• Heroes, antiheroes, villain protagonists, and supporting protagonists are the four different sorts of protagonists that the majority of stories feature.
• Hero or Heroine: In literature, a hero or heroine is a figure who triumphs over a significant battle or conflict through tenacity, bravery, or cunning. Along the journey, heroes must frequently make sacrifices, always for the benefit of the larger good rather than for their own benefit. Heroes with more complex characters sometimes seem to be, are frequently found in current literary works that strive for realism. The phrases “hero” and “protagonist” are occasionally used synonymously; however, this is incorrect. One kind of protagonist is a hero. Not all heroes are protagonists.
• An antihero is a protagonist who cannot possess the traits associated with classic heroes. The antihero differs significantly from the hero in that they are frequently shown to not have moral or particularly noble objectives, in contrast to modern heroes who could have a few defects in order to look genuine. Although they frequently operate in their own best interests, they are not completely corrupt or immoral, unlike a villain.
• The villain is unmistakably the “bad man,” committed to wrongdoing, in contrast to the hero and antihero protagonists. The antagonist in a tale is frequently the villain since they are the ones fighting against the protagonist; however, villains may also be protagonists if they are the ones driving the plot ahead and winning the audience over.
• Supporting Protagonist: Compared to the other protagonists, supporting protagonists are less prevalent. When a supporting protagonist does show up, it frequently happens when the narrative is delivered from the viewpoint of a character who first seems unimportant. The supporting protagonist’s otherwise insignificant involvement in the tale becomes more essential since the story is recounted from their point of view, even though there may be another character in the story who looks more important or who experiences more of the “primary action.”

Examples of Protagonists

Hero Protagonist in Beowulf

• One of the first surviving works of literature in the English language is the epic poem Beowulf, whose protagonist is a classic example of an epic hero who is invariably strong, courageous, and just. The poem relates the tale of Beowulf’s valor in the face of Grendel, a monster threatening to wipe out the Danes. Later, Beowulf puts his life in danger to kill a dragon that breathes fire, as well as Grendel’s mother. Although he is fatally wounded while battling the dragon, he survives to declare victory and guarantee the protection of the populace. There is a little mistake that Beowulf is the protagonist because the narrative carefully follows him and his prowess in combat, only briefly addressing other characters when it helps to portray Beowulf’s story better.

Antihero Protagonist in The Catcher in the Rye

• Holden Caulfield has been expelled from many boarding schools in J.D. Salinger‘s book The Catcher in the Rye and appears to be about to leave his present one. Holden isn’t a brave or trustworthy character (he admits to being “yellow” or fearful) (he perpetually lies). He is not particularly tough or moral (he hires a prostitute) (and he ends up getting beaten up by her pimp). All things considered, Holden is a young antihero since he lacks the usual qualities of a hero.

Villain Protagonist in Despicable Me

• In the animated movie Despicable Me, the main character is Gru, a self-described villain. Gru tries to foil his rival’s scheme and execute an even more sinister scheme (stealing the moon). Gru commits several ostensibly good deeds along the road (he adopts three orphaned girls, for example), but the audience always sympathizes with him, and his deeds move the plot along.

Supporting Protagonist in Sherlock Holmes

• Sherlock Holmes from Arthur Conan Doyle is a skilled private investigator with amazing logical reasoning skills. But Dr. Watson, Sherlock’s “sidekick,” provides the narration in Doyle’s writings about him rather than the detective himself. So in these scenarios, Watson serves as a supporting protagonist. Sherlock Holmes’s life story is narrated to the audience from Dr. Watson’s point of view and voice. Despite the fact that the stories are based on Holmes’s adventures, Dr. Watson is just as important to the plot because he is the one telling it. He is a supporting protagonist because, although the story is not about him, he is at its core.

The following is a list of protagonists from various forms of literature:

• Pip- the orphan from Great Expectations
• Annie – the orphan from the musical Annie
• Harry Potter – from the Harry Potter series
• Katniss – from The Hunger Games
• Luke Skywalker – from Star Wars
• Ferris Bueller – from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
• Peter Parker – from Spiderman

Protagonist Worksheets

This bundle contains 5 ready-to-use protagonist worksheets that are perfect to test student knowledge and understanding of the protagonist,  which is the main character whose actions drive the plot and whose outcome matters most.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the protagonist and antagonist?

Antonyms of each other are the protagonist and antagonist. While antagonists are often the bad ones, protagonists are typically the nice guys (even if that occasionally makes them antiheroes).

What is a protagonist character?

The protagonist is the main character whose actions drive the plot and whose outcome matters most. In other words, they play a part in the storyline or conflict of the story and are frequently crucial to it, but they are also typically the emotional center of the story.

Is the villain a protagonist?

The antagonist is a character who opposes or works against the protagonist in a story. Not every story with a protagonist also features an adversary. While there can be villainous protagonists, a villain is an antagonist when they are the primary cause of conflict for the main characters rather than the story’s main character.

What are the four types of protagonists?

Heroes, antiheroes, villain protagonists, and supporting protagonists are the four different sorts of protagonists that the majority of stories feature.

Is the antagonist a villain?

An adversary need not be malicious; he only opposes the protagonist’s (in a novel) actions, thoughts, goals, etc. The phrase says nothing about the character’s true characteristics and serves only as a storyline role.

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Link will appear as Protagonist Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, July 17, 2017