Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

Jerry

Surprise! You probably thought that if Jerry was the protagonist, then Peter had to be the antagonist. But the truth is that Peter isn't very antagonistic; it's not like he's secretly plotting against Jerry, or wants to hurt him, or even wants to talk to him. Instead, it's Jerry who gets in Peter's face, annoys him, mocks him, and eventually pushes him off the bench for good. Yes, Peter holds the knife that stabs Jerry… but it's Jerry who deliberately runs into it. Peter doesn't really do enough to be an antagonist. So Jerry has to be both protagonist and antagonist—the Hyde to his very own Jekyll.