Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

Madame de Tourvel

Wait, what?!?! We're naming the virtuous, godly Présidente de Tourvel the antagonist of this story? What kind of story is this? Not a morally uplifting one, that's for sure. In any case, as we've picked Valmont to be the chief protagonist, we have to name the woman he pursues and who thwarts him as the antagonist. Her continual responses to Valmont's proclamations of love don't resolve the conflict; they increase the obstacles to his obtaining his objectives. She only very slowly comes around, and with this transition her character moves away from antagonism with Valmont.