Difference Between Protagonist and Antagonist

The main difference between protagonist and antagonist is that the protagonist is the main character that is woven around the entire story, while the antagonist is the opposite character of the protagonist.

Protagonist vs Antagonist

The protagonist is the main or central character who is written around the whole story, while the antagonist is the opposite character of the protagonist or an anti-force. The entire story of a drama or movie is woven around the protagonist and his mission to achieve his goal, while the main opposite character of the entire story is an antagonist. The protagonist is portrayed as an upright and morally correct character, but the antagonist is portrayed as villainous and morally evil. The public sympathizes with the protagonist and wants to know his victory over the antagonist; on the other hand, the antagonist has no sympathy from the audience. The protagonist is usually always a human being; on the contrary, the antagonist can be an animal force, a circumstance and it could be a natural calamity. The protagonist tries to go the right way, while the antagonist places difficulties on the protagonist’s track. A protagonist can be important in a story, but no story can be more exciting without the introduction of the antagonist. The protagonist represents our initiative and positive changes; on the contrary, antagonist represents resistance to change or something new.

Comparison chart

What is the protagonist?

Protagonist is a Greek word that usually means the leading or enthusiastic leading role in a story and the entire story of a drama or movie is woven around the protagonist and his mission to achieve his goal in the story: an enthusiastic audience about how it’s found. solutions of his problems. The audience sympathizes with the protagonist and wants to learn about his victory over the antagonist because the protagonist is portrayed as an upright and morally correct character. The protagonist is not always admirable and good and could be an evil villain like ‘Macbeth’ in the Macbeth play. The protagonists can be more than one in a story, for example, ‘The game of thrones’. Some notable protagonists in literature are The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and The Hunger Games. A protagonist can be important in a story, but no story can be more exciting without the introduction of the antagonist. The protagonist represents our initiative and positive changes, and the main objective of him is to represent our society and our obstacles. The protagonist is usually always a human being whom the audience can easily recognize.

examples

Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, Prince Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius, Superman, Captain America, etc.

What is the antagonist?

The antagonist is a Greek word that generally means a rival, an opponent, or a villain who deliberately causes trouble for the protagonist. The antagonist is portrayed as villains, dark powers, evil and morally bad in the story. An antagonist stands in the way of the protagonist and his ultimate goal. Therefore, the antagonist does not get any sympathy from the audience. The antagonist can be an animal force and a circumstance can be a natural calamity, a group of characters, a concept in itself or an institution that opposes or stands in the way of the protagonist. An antagonist is very important in a story because no story can be more exciting without the introduction of the antagonist.

examples

The Evil Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, the Wolf in Little Red Riding Hood, Captain Hook in Peter Pan, Magneto, Joker, Two-Face, etc. are some villains or negative characters from children’s books or cartoons.

Key differences

1. The protagonist is the main character who is written about throughout the story, while the antagonist is the character opposite the protagonist.
2. The entire story of a drama or movie is woven around the protagonist and his mission, while the main opposite character in the entire story is an antagonist.
3. The protagonist is portrayed as an upright and morally correct character, but the antagonist is portrayed as villainous and morally evil.
4. The audience sympathizes with the protagonist and wants to see his victory over the antagonist; on the other hand, the antagonist has no sympathy from the audience.
5. The protagonist is usually always a human being; on the contrary, the antagonist can be an animal force, a circumstance, and it could be a natural calamity.
6. The protagonist tries to go the right way, while the antagonist places difficulties on the protagonist’s track.
7. A protagonist can be important in a story, but no story can be more exciting without the introduction of the antagonist.
8. The protagonist represents our initiative and positive changes; on the contrary, antagonist represents resistance to change or something new.

Final Thought

The above discussion concludes that the protagonist is the main positive role in the story, while the antagonist is an opponent or anti-force against the protagonist.