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Tritagonist

Literary Character
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The third most important character after the protagonist and deuteragonist

Detailed Definition
In poetry, a tritagonist is the third most important character in a dramatic or narrative poem, following the protagonist and deuteragonist; though less central, the tritagonist often provides contrast, comic relief, or thematic counterpoint, enriching the poem’s dramatic texture and moral complexity.
Example
Example in poetry:
Tritagonist: In Sophocles’ "Oedipus Rex," Creon serves as tritagonist; Shakespeare’s "Hamlet": Horatio as third major role; Contemporary: In Claudia Rankine’s "Citizen," the unnamed "you" functions as tritagonist; Poetic drama like Robert Browning’s "Pippa Passes" uses tritagonist for thematic contrast
Additional Notes
A tritagonist is the third most important character in a narrative or drama, following the protagonist and deuteragonist; in Greek tragedy the tritagonist often plays supporting or contrasting roles, highlighting the protagonist's dilemma or advancing the plot indirectly.
Also Known As
Third actor Supporting character Tertiary figure Third protagonist
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