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Theatre Arts for Advanced Secondary Schools

Antagonist
An antagonist is a character (individual or group), an idea, force or institution
that opposes or antagonises the protagonist. An antagonist is the force of a
story that the protagonist should contend with, be it a human being, natural or
supernatural beings or forces in order to achieve a very important goal. While
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the protagonist pushes one way, the antagonist pushes another way. Arguing
with different views qualify antagonists as opponents or opposing forces of the
protagonist. Antagonists must be as strong as protagonists or stronger than the
protagonists to make the conflict interesting. It should be noted that antagonism
does not necessarily imply negativity. Sometimes, the antagonists can oppose
malpractices in the society.

Conflicts
Conflict is a clash between two opposing forces that create the narrative thread
for a story. It is often referred to as the misunderstandings, tension or opposition
of two forces which drive the story forward. Conflict occurs when the main
character struggles with either an external conflict or an internal conflict. Conflict
is an element that kicks off an action and gets the story started. Conflict is used to
reveal deeper meaning in a story while stressing on characters’ motivation, values
and weaknesses. By establishing the conflict in the beginning and resolving the
conflict by the end of the story, the story gains a sense of direction, motion, and
purpose. Without it, a story would drift along with no beginning, middle, or end.
When a character goes up against an opposing force, their actions and emotions
reveal their character traits. This creates compelling characters that are multi-
dimensional and more relatable to the reader. Generally, conflict is a foundation
of any story regardless of the medium upon which it is told. There are six types of
conflicts; character vs. self, character vs. character, character vs. society, character
vs. supernatural, character vs. technology, and character vs. nature.

How to develop conflict for a story
(a) Decide what your character wants, then put an obstacle in their way. In
fiction writing, conflict builds when something prevents your character
from getting what they want. One can raise the stakes by making their
desire an obsession.
(b) Create characters with opposing values. Create characters who are not
just good or evil, but who are opposed to one another in a more interesting
way.

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