The idea of antagonism is linked to the rivalry between two ideas, entities, groups or individuals.
The first thing you need to know is that the term antagonism has its etymological origin in Greek, specifically it derives from "antagonismós". This is a word that is the result of the sum of three very well differentiated elements:
-The prefix «anti-«, which is used to indicate «contrary» or «opposite».
-The noun "agon", which is equivalent to "combat".
-The suffix "-ism", which is used as a synonym for "doctrine".
What is antagonism
The concept refers to an opposition, rivalry or competition that exists between two people, groups, entities or ideas .
For example: "The antagonism between Batman and the Joker is one of the most fascinating in the world of comics" , "Rivalries in football are healthy, but the antagonism between two teams should never lead to violent situations" , " "I don't think there is an antagonism between our proposal and the project presented by the company."
Antagonism is common in superhero stories.
The concept in the narrative
Antagonism is a common element of narrative. The central character of the story is called the protagonist : the character who opposes its objectives is the antagonist . The antagonist (who is usually the villain of the story), in this way, makes it difficult for the protagonist's plans (the hero ) to come to fruition. This antagonism constitutes the crux of the narrative, which is only resolved in the denouement.
It is established that to create a good antagonist, the following fundamental keys must be taken into consideration:
-It has to stir the reader's emotions, whether for better or worse.
-Must have great strength on a mental and personality level.
-It is important that it is not indifferent and that it does not pass without arousing reactions.
-It is advisable to choose in each story the type of antagonist that is considered most appropriate. And there are different types: the psychopath, which is the one present in police or horror works; the moral, who simply had the bad luck to live through a harsh past experience; the hypocrite, who pretends to be someone innocent when in reality he is a being with really very clear ideas.
Antagonism in superhero stories
Superheroes usually have one or more antagonists: the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler and Two - Face are characters who antagonize Batman , to name one example.
Superman , for his part, has antagonists such as Lex Luthor , Doomsday and Darkseid .
The notion in biology and in other areas
In the field of biology , antagonism refers to a type of interaction that causes a substance or an organism to be unable to perform an activity when in contact with another. Biological antagonism occurs when an antibiotic controls a bacteria , to cite a case of this type of interaction.
However, we cannot forget that the term antagonist is also used in the field of dentistry, to refer to a tooth that has to close to bite; or in physiology. In the latter case, the antagonist is the muscle that acts against the movement carried out by another muscle.