a) Does the story mention the name of any character? Whose?
Answers
Answer:
you’re an antagonist, you antagonize — it’s what you do. Specifically, you undermine, thwart, battle, or otherwise oppose one character: the protagonist.
Most of the time, the protagonist is good and the antagonist is evil, and such is the source of their conflict. This isn’t always the case — especially if the protagonist is an anti-hero who lacks typical heroic attributes, or the antagonist is an anti-villain who has noble characteristics. Still, 95% of the time, the protag is the hero and the “antag” is the villain.
Antagonists usually play just as important a role in a story as their protagonistic counterparts, but they may not be seen as much. They tend not to narrate stories and often operate in secret. Indeed, the question of “What will the antagonist do next?” can be a source of great narrative tension in a story.
Antagonist examples: Sauron, Voldemort, The White Witch, Count Olaf, Maleficent, Iago, Regina George
3. Deuteragonist
Most stories have a primary protagonist and a secondary deuteragonist (or group of deuteragonists). This is the character who’s not exactly in the spotlight, but pretty close to it.
The deuteragonist’s “comic book” equivalent would probably be the sidekick. They’re often seen in the company of the protagonist — giving advice, plotting against their rivals, and generally lending a helping hand. Their presence and close relationship to the protagonist gives the story warmth and heart, so it’s not just about the hero’s journey, but about the friends they make along the way (awww). Of course, not all secondary figures are friends — some are arch-enemies — but even these less-friendly deuteragonists still lend depth to a story.
Deuteragonist examples: Ron and Hermione, Samwise Gamgee, Lumiere and Cogsworth, Jane Bennet, Dr. Watson, Mercutio
4. Tertiary characters
The reason that tertiary characters aren’t called “tertagonists” is because they’re not important enough to really agonize anything or anyone. They flit in and out of the MC’s life, perhaps only appearing in one or two scenes throughout the book.
However, a well-rounded story still requires a few tertiaries. We all have them in real life, after all — the barista you only see once a week, the random guy you sit next to in class — so any realistic fictional story should include them too.
In the following list of examples, we’ve put the sources of these tertiary characters in addition to their names, just in case you don’t recognize them. (We certainly couldn’t blame you.)
Tertiary examples: Mr. Poe in A Series of Unfortunate Events, Radagast in The Lord of the Rings, Padma and Parvati Patil in Harry Potter, Calo and Fabrizio in The Godfather, Madame Stahl in Anna Karenina
types of characters
Who the heck is this guy? Doesn't really matter, he's tertiary. Image: Warner Bros.
5. Love interest
Most novels contain romance in one form or another. It might be the main plot, a subplot, or just a blip on the narrative radar — but no matter how it features, there has to be some sort of love interest involved. This love interest is typically a deuteragonist, but not exclusively (hence why this separate category).
You’ll recognize a love interest by the protagonist’s strong reaction to them, though that reaction can vary widely. Some love interests make their MC swoon; others make them scoff. The protagonist often denies their feelings for this person at first, or vice-versa, which is a great plot-thickening device.
No matter what, if they’re well-written, you should find yourself curious about (if not always rooting for) whatever love interest pops up on the page.
Love interest examples: Mr. Darcy, Daisy Buchanan, Romeo/Juliet, Peeta Mellark, Edward Cullen, Mary Jane Watson
6. Confidant
This one’s even harder to pin down, especially since many stories focus so much on their MC’s love interest that other relationships get left out in the cold. However, the confidant can still be one of the most profound relationships the protagonist has in a novel.
Confidants are often best friends, but they may also be a potential love interest or even a mentor. The protagonist shares their thoughts and emotions with this person, even when they’re reluctant to share with anyone else. However, the confidant might also be someone the MC turns to, not because they want to, but because they feel they have no other choice (as in the last example on this list)