What is protagonist in classical Greek writing and play?
Literally, the “protagonist” was the “first actor”. Any Greek tragedy needed only three actors to do the whole play (There was also the deuteragonist and tritagonist). The playwright would carefully arrange his entrances and exits so that when a character left the stage, he would change into the costume and personal of another character. For example, in the middle of “Oedipus Rex”, Jocasta has to leave the stage so that “Shepherd #1” (the one who took away baby Oedipus) can come on stage and have the critical conversation with Oedipus (the protagonist) and the Messenger from Corinth (the tritagonist). The protagonist had the biggest part and the most time on stage; he was often (but not always) the Title Character.
