A protagonist is the main character of a story who makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward. The protagonist is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles and whose fate is most closely followed by the reader or audience. In literature, the protagonist is opposed by the antagonist, who provides obstacles and complications that test the protagonist
. In a more general sense, a protagonist can also refer to the leading character, hero, or heroine of a drama or other literary work
