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Guidelines for writing Poems, Stories and Tales

Can there only be a protagonist if there is an antagonist?

Asked by: Dennis Rodriguez

Can you have a protagonist without an antagonist?

Sometimes, there is no clear distinction of whether a character is a protagonist or an antagonist. Whether their intentions are unknown, their actions are both positive and negative, or they are their own worst enemy, a primary character can be both a protagonist and an antagonist at the same time.

Can the antagonist also be the protagonist?

The simple answer is no, the protagonist cannot be the antagonist, as the antagonist is defined by being opposed to the protagonist. They are antonym in that one opposes the other, but you could argue that they are a binary pair.

What is the third protagonist called?

Tritagonist

In literature, the tritagonist (from Ancient Greek τριταγωνιστής (tritagōnistḗs) ‘third actor’) or tertiary main character is the third most important character of a narrative, after the protagonist and deuteragonist. In ancient Greek drama, the tritagonist was the third member of the acting troupe.

What is a Contagonist?

The contagonist is an antagonistic character who will get in the protagonist’s way, try to lead him astray, and just generally cause conflict and tension. He differs from the antagonist in that he isn’t necessarily directly opposed to the protagonist.

What is it called when the protagonist is also the antagonist?

The deuteragonist may switch between supporting and opposing the protagonist, depending on their own conflict or plot.

Can a story have two protagonists?

Dual protagonists are characters who are both the central actors in a story, work toward a shared or similar goal, and take up approximately the same amount of screen time. Like most protagonists in film, they must both embark on inner and outer journeys that culminate in an emotional or physical change.

Can a story have no protagonist?

Is it possible to have a story without a protagonist? Absolutely. It’s done all the time, just do some quick googles to find examples of this. Normally, it’s a smaller setting with less action, a larger scope with more characters, or everyone is bad and good, etc.

What are the 8 character archetypes?

In The Hero of a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell explores the eight types of characters in the hero’s journey. These character types include the hero, mentor, ally, herald, trickster, shapeshifter, guardian, and shadow.

What is the most important character called?

Protagonist

Protagonist: The main character of the story is the protagonist.



How do you write a good Deuteragonist?

Make your deuteragonist a foil for the main character. That is, the deuteragonist should be strikingly different from the protagonist in some way. The specifics, of course, depend on your individual storytelling choices.

What is a Tetragonist?

°A leading person in a contest; a principal performer.

Can there be two deuteragonists?

Another name for the deuteragonist is a “window character”, and there can be more than one.