Woo! It's been a while.
I believe that the protagonist in Glass of Water is Abigail. I think her struggles are the most central to the plot, and I think she is certainly the most likable character. I definitely think that Scribe wanted us to root for Abigail. Abigail is the one character who pursues a clear goal throughout the script and achieves this goal in the end of the play. Her goal, of course, is to be with Masham.
I will say, however, that I am not convinced that finding a protagonist or antagonist within this script is explicitly useful. During my analyses, I have not come across a point in which ranking characters in terms of importance or considering who has the most conflict in a script has served a purpose. I think that analyzing this play is possible without answering the question Dr. Fletcher has posed. I think discussing the group of characters who play within the main action as a whole is sufficient.
I was very hesitant to name a protagonist, so I ended up not naming one at all. It was difficult to make an argument for one character or another because there were a few characters that got what they wanted by the end of the play. When I would “protagonist” someone I ended up “antagonizing” someone else who I could also consider a protagonist. However, I completely agree that naming a protagonist isn't very helpful in this play. I also think that an analysis can be done without it, and I loved that you made your choice on more than just stage time!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. If I had to chose a protagonist it would have to be Abigail, but I don't really see the purpose in it. If it is coming down to arguing about who the protagonist is, maybe some characters were meant to be equally as important to the plot.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it isn't necessarily useful to establish a protagonist and antagonist within this script. It is more important to get a sense of the story and relationships as opposed to who the play is "about."
ReplyDeleteI would definitely agree that knowing the protagonist isn't necessarily useful in this script.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I was interested to read about your idea because I had personally thought it was Bolingbroke. Interesting!