Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

Arthur Donnithorne

Antagonist, you say? Find us another antagonist that says things like this about his protagonist:

"I'll have Adam for my right hand. He shall manage my woods for me, for he seems to have a better notion of those things than any man I ever met with." (5.45)

Um, what? For much of Adam Bede, Arthur and Adam aren't just on the same side; they're friendly as friendly can be. But they want the same girl, and in things like this, there can be only one!

And Arthur is the one. When Adam realizes this, he feels betrayed, and feels robbed. Arthur morphs into "a selfish light-minded scoundrel" in Adam's eyes pretty darn quickly (27.19). Good friends make the best enemies, or is it good friends make the worst enemies? Forget the saying; you get the point.