Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

Herr Zeller and Baroness Schraeder

Herr Zeller doesn't get a whole lot of screen time in the film, but he's definitely the big baddie—and he manages to make a surprising amount of trouble for the von Trapps considering how little we see him. He's the local agent of the Nazi annexation of Austria, and he does his best to try to bring Captain von Trapp (and presumably any other unbelievers) over to that view.

When that little "hearts and minds" campaign doesn't work, he gets more aggressive. He hangs a Nazi flag on the von Trapp house while the von Trapps are out of town, knowing Georg and Maria have zero intention of keeping it there.

When Georg is "offered" a commission in the Nazi navy, Herr Zeller basically stalks him to make sure that he takes the job. As a result, he catches the von Trapps trying to sneak out of town. The von Trapps manage to outsmart him and get away anyway, but Zeller places the whole family in a great deal of danger.

Sorry, baroness. We don't mean to put you in the same evil category as the loathsome Herr Zeller. The baroness isn't evil like Zeller, but she presents the major obstacle to Maria and the captain getting together. She even does some sneaky "mean girl" stuff to get Maria out of the house. She quietly slips out of the antagonist role when she realizes it's no use.