In literature, the deuteragonist (pronounced DEW-tuh-RAG-uh-nist; from the Ancient Greek word for "second actor") is the second most important character in a story. This character comes after the protagonist (the main character) and before the tritagonist (the third most important character). The deuteragonist often travels with the protagonist or helps them achieve their goals. Depending on the story's events, the deuteragonist may support or oppose the protagonist.

History

Ancient Greek drama began with one actor, the protagonist, and a group of dancers called the chorus. The playwright Aeschylus introduced a second actor, known as the deuteragonist. Aristotle wrote in his Poetics:

"Aeschylus was the first to increase the number of actors from one to two. He also reduced the size of the chorus and made dialogue the main part of the plays."

This change helped other playwrights, such as Sophocles and Euripides, create many famous plays.

Drama

Ancient Greek plays used only three actors, called the protagonist, deuteragonist, and tritagonist, along with a group called the chorus. Because there were so few actors, each one often played multiple roles. For example, in the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, the protagonist was Oedipus, who appeared in most scenes. The deuteragonist was Jocasta, who was Oedipus’s mother and wife. The tritagonist played two roles: the Shepherd and the Messenger. This happened because Jocasta had a major role and appeared in many scenes, while the Shepherd and Messenger only appeared when Jocasta was not on stage.