The most common and recurrent use of the word protagonist is the one used with the aim of naming the main character of a work of fiction, be it literary, a short story, a novel, a play, a television program or from a movie.
Central and main character of a work of fiction and on which the whole story revolves
The word comes from the Greek where it was also used to say more or less the same thing: the one who acts the first part or who is the lead actor.
In this theater, three actors participated who could play several characters at the same time, each one had his own mask to differentiate himself from the others. They were called the protagonist, the secondary character or deuteragonist and the triagonist who continued to be relevant to the first two.
Then, the protagonist will be the one actor or actress who is in charge of carrying out the most important actions of the story or story that he leads, that is to say, without his presence the plot would have no meaning.
Of course there will be other actors who will display secondary characters but who, although they have their own stories, their reason for being will be mainly to contribute to the adventures and events of the central protagonist.
The counter-figure: the antagonist, who makes life difficult for the protagonist so that he does not triumph
It is also frequent that if there is a protagonist there must be a antagonist, which is that character who with his action and putting up obstacles tries to hinder the achievement of the actions and tasks that the protagonist has defined.
Putting it in simpler terms, the antagonist is the "baddie of the movie", as it is popularly said, and that is the one who makes the protagonist have a good time, who is obviously almost always good and must endure the attacks of evil from the antagonist.
In almost all the stories, although the protagonists suffer and suffer throughout almost the entire story, the good always triumphs and then they always have a happy end or happy ending, while the antagonist ends up defeated.
Rarely does the protagonist end badly because basically the public does not like that his idol suffers in the end, or does not triumph.
Many stories present us with a single protagonist, although it is also common that the task is shared with another and that there are two protagonists.
Likewise, the number of antagonists can be variable and there is not just one but several who try to make things difficult for the protagonist.
Examples
"Marimar is the protagonist of the novel, a very naive and humble young woman who will make the millionaire fall in love with the house where she works." "The character of Sandra Bullock he is the absolute protagonist of the film The Blind Side”.
On the other hand, something that is frequent in the public and in the press is that when actor who is in charge of the central and most important character in a novel, a movie or a TV show is called the protagonist, applying the term not only on the fictional character but also on the real person who works as an actor. ”Sam Worthington is he Avatar protagonist, the new super production that directs James Cameron ".
Artists of trajectory or very convoking
Another frequent question when it comes to the protagonist is that this role is occupied by an actor or actress who has a consolidated career and trajectory, and of course who enjoys the unanimous favor of the public, that is, it is a convening artist, and then also Due to his acting qualities, he is called to star in because the public supports him and that will make more people go to the theater, the cinema, or the series has a higher rating, among other options.
Now, we cannot ignore that in recent times it is also common for production companies to call on artists or personalities who do not have consolidated trajectories that endorse them, however, they have a large flow of followers and fans with which this ensures to a great extent that the product that will star in will have an important reception from the public, marketing strategies that call it, and that of course are very valid in the world of entertainment ...
Generally, the protagonists are celebrities from the entertainment world who arouse the fervor of the public and of course the attention of the press who want to know all the details of their lives, especially the intimate ones.
That or that which plays a fundamental role in a context
And finally the word protagonist has a frequent use when it comes to naming him individual, animal or thing that in any event played a fundamental and exclusive role. "Perseus, his dog, was the protagonist of the rescue of the child." "Snow was the star of the day because it had not snowed in the city for decades." "Laura was the star of the day at school by winning the interscholastic math championship."
