A protagonist is an actor who owns the right to play the first role in a tragedy. Some interesting points in theatrical and cinematic art are associated with this concept. Also, the protagonist is the main character in ancient Greek tragedy or drama.
Etymology of the word
This concept came from Greek roots, meaning "first", "compete", "wrestler". If all these hints were added up, it would be easier to assume that the meaning of the word “protagonist” lies in the word “winner”. After all, the first in the wrestling competitions is the one who managed to win. However, the meaning of this word got a different one. And its appearance was connected precisely with the ancient tragedy of Thespis played in Athens in 534 BC.
Who is a protagonist in contemporary art?
Today, the meaning of this concept has expanded. The protagonist is already the main character of not only tragedy, but also a film, a literary work and even a computer game. And sometimes false protagonists appear in the work - heroes who at the beginning give the impression of the main ones, and then disappear altogether. This was the case in 1960. It was then that the sensational films "Adventure" and "Psycho" were shown on the screens of movie theaters.
The difference between the concepts of the protagonist in classic and contemporary art
Typically, the protagonist and antagonist or group of antagonists appear in the works. In classical creations, the negative hero is opposed by the negative - villains. They, antagonists, prevent the protagonist from achieving his goals. Or the positive hero himself fights with them - this was the basis of the classic storyline. In contemporary art, everything is much more complicated. Often, the protagonist is the negative villain whom positive heroes try to seize and neutralize. However, as, for example, in the film Fantomas, positive antagonists cause laughter and irony, but the viewer sympathizes with the main character, despite his position in society. The same is observed in modern crime fighters, for example, in a series of works by Evgeny Sukhov, the thief in law of the Varyag.
