- Introduction
Protagonists and Antagonists- Timeline of Events
- Using Dialogue
- Task
Protagonists and Antagonists
One thing that makes children's short stories unique is the use of a protagonist and an antagonist.
Protagonist
A protagonist is the character who is the star of the story.
Antagonist
The antagonist is the enemy of the protagonist. The antagonist is the character that opposes the main character.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Within a children's short story, there may be many minor characters who offer support to the plot, but the conflict is between the protagonist and the antagonist.
For example: In the children's short story, "Little Red Riding Hood," the protagonist is the little girl. She is the main character in the story and she is the one that the reader is wishing the best for. The antagonist is the Big Bad Wolf. He is clearly the enemy of Little Red Riding Hood.
Without the source of conflict that the wolf brings to the plot, the story would be a boring tale of a girl walking through the forest. Having the antagonist in the story makes it interesting and allows for a climax in the plot. The grandmother and the hunter are simply minor characters who help to support the protagonist.
Discussion
Now that I have given you a well known example of a protagonist and an antagonist, it is your turn. Go to the 3.01 Protagonist and Antagonist Discussion and post your own example of a well known tale that had a protagonist and an antagonist.
You might refer to a famous Disney story that has a protagonist and an antagonist, or perhaps a famous super hero who is constantly at battle against an enemy. Make sure in your post that you name the character who is the protagonist and the character that is the antagonist as well as the name of the story or tale in which they appear.
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