A confidant (pronounced /ˈkɒnˌfɪdɑːnt/ or /ˌkɒnˈfɪdɑːnt/) is a character in a story who receives secrets and is trusted by the main character. A confidant can be another main character, someone who gains trust because of their job or role, such as a doctor, or a character who is not introduced separately and only serves as someone to share secrets with. The female version of this term is "confidante," which is pronounced the same way.

Role

A confidant is a supporting character in a story, usually a friend or someone in a position of authority. Their job is to listen to the main character's secrets, help understand the main character's personality, and give them advice about what to do. They do not just listen quietly; they may also take actions that help move the story forward or show how the audience might feel or react.

History

The role of the confidant in Western literature can be found in Greek drama, especially in the works of the playwright Euripides. In plays like Hecuba and Orestes, characters such as Agamemnon and Pylades act as confidants. They help the main characters by offering advice and explaining their thoughts and feelings. This role became especially important in 17th-century French drama, particularly in the plays of Jean Racine and Pierre Corneille. In their works, confidants became more complex and less neutral in their actions. However, the writer abbé d'Aubignac criticized Corneille for using confidants in a way that lacked elegance. Shakespeare scholar Francis Schoff noted that in Hamlet, the character Horatio serves not only as a witness to events but also as a listener for the main character, Hamlet.

Scholars like Georg Lukács have observed that the confidant’s role has become less common in modern literature. They point out that modern stories often show protagonists in isolated situations, where trust between a hero and a confidant is replaced by a modern feeling of loneliness and separation.