Title character: Difference between revisions
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==Title character== |
==Title character== |
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The '''title character''' in [[fiction]] is the [[fictional character|character]] who is named or referred to in the title, as in the [[Harry Potter]] novels and films<ref>{{cite book|title=Hermione Granger Saves the World: Essays on the Feminist Heroine of Hogwarts|publisher=McFarland|date=July 30, 2012|last=Bell|first=Christoper E|page=21}}</ref>, |
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Although the term '''title character''' is only used in fiction or [[Semi fiction]], the character itself need not be fictional, such as [[Erin Brockovich]] in the [[Erin Brockovich (film)|film of that name]]<ref>{{cite book|title=Myths, Stereotypes, and Controlling Images in Film: A Feminist Content Analysis of Hollywood's Portrayal of Women's Career Choices.|isbn=9781243451705|page=58|first=Tonya R|last=Hammer|date=April 2008|UMI=3303491}}</ref> or [[Thomas More]] in the play [[A Man for All Seasons]] by [[Robert Bolt]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Best Test Preparation for the Advanced Placement Examination in English Literature & Composition|publisher=Research and Education Assocn.|date=1990|page=83}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | The title character's name need not be directly named in the title, but may merely be the character that the title refers to, such as [[Bilbo Baggins]] in ''[[The Hobbit]]'' or [[Idi Amin]] in [[The Last King of Scotland]]. A title character may only be indirectly ''described'' in the title, as in ''[[An Ideal Husband]]'' by [[Oscar Wilde]], where the 'ideal husband' (the title role) may be the apparently perfect Sir Robert Chiltern, or it may be the enigmatic Lord Goring, supposedly a confirmed bachelor. Wilde's deliberately ambiguous title creates [[dramatic irony]] in this case, as it is difficult to say which character has the title role. |
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Like title roles in film and theater, the title character need not be the protagonist. It may be the main antagonist, for example, [[Sauron]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Beetlejuice]] or [[The Mummy (1999 film)|The Mummy]] (Imhotep) in the 1999 film of that name. In ''[[Stranger in a Strange Land]]'' by [[Robert A. Heinlein]], the title character is [[Stranger in a Strange Land|Valentine Michael Smith]] but the character accepted as being the main character in that novel is [[Jubal Harshaw]]. In ''[[The Great Gatsby]]'' by [[F. Scott Fitzgerald]], Gatsby is a major character, but his story is told by narrator and protagonist Nick Carraway. In ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]'' [[Dorothy Gale]] is the main character. In the [[video game]] ''[[The Legend of Zelda (series)|The Legend of Zelda]]'', the title character, [[Princess Zelda]], is the [[damsel in distress]], but the protagonist is [[Link (The Legend of Zelda)|Link]]. The title character may be [[Unseen character|unseen]], for example Godot in [[Waiting for Godot]] or [[Jason Bourne]] in the 2012 film [[The Bourne Legacy (film)|The Bourne Legacy]]. |
Like title roles in film and theater, the title character need not be the protagonist. It may be the main antagonist, for example, [[Sauron]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Beetlejuice]] or [[The Mummy (1999 film)|The Mummy]] (Imhotep) in the 1999 film of that name. In ''[[Stranger in a Strange Land]]'' by [[Robert A. Heinlein]], the title character is [[Stranger in a Strange Land|Valentine Michael Smith]] but the character accepted as being the main character in that novel is [[Jubal Harshaw]]. In ''[[The Great Gatsby]]'' by [[F. Scott Fitzgerald]], Gatsby is a major character, but his story is told by narrator and protagonist Nick Carraway. In ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]'' [[Dorothy Gale]] is the main character. In the [[video game]] ''[[The Legend of Zelda (series)|The Legend of Zelda]]'', the title character, [[Princess Zelda]], is the [[damsel in distress]], but the protagonist is [[Link (The Legend of Zelda)|Link]]. The title character may be [[Unseen character|unseen]], for example Godot in [[Waiting for Godot]] or [[Jason Bourne]] in the 2012 film [[The Bourne Legacy (film)|The Bourne Legacy]]. |
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Title character has been attributed to objects, for example the bus in the film and musical [[Priscilla, Queen of the Desert]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/02-2013/priscilla-queen-of-the-desert-tour-oxford_1040.html|title=Priscilla - Queen of the Desert (Tour - Oxford)|first=Simon|last=Tavener|date=February 28, 2013|publisher=What's on Stage: Theatre News}}</ref> |
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==Titular== |
==Titular== |
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Revision as of 07:11, 1 September 2014
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The title role in the performing arts is the performance part that gives the title to the piece, as in Aida, Giselle, Michael Collins, or Othello. The actor, singer, or dancer who performs that part is also said to have the title role.
The actor playing the title role is not always the lead; the title role may or may not be the protagonist. In the television miniseries Shogun, for example, Toshirō Mifune had the title role, but the lead was played by Richard Chamberlain. In the James Bond film and novel The Man with the Golden Gun, the title character is the primary antagonist. The title role and the lead can be different genders; for example, in the recent revival of August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Whoopi Goldberg had the title role, but the lead was Charles S. Dutton.
Title character
The title character in fiction is the character who is named or referred to in the title, as in the Harry Potter novels and films[1],
Although the term title character is only used in fiction or Semi fiction, the character itself need not be fictional, such as Erin Brockovich in the film of that name[2] or Thomas More in the play A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt.[3]
The title character's name need not be directly named in the title, but may merely be the character that the title refers to, such as Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit or Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. A title character may only be indirectly described in the title, as in An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde, where the 'ideal husband' (the title role) may be the apparently perfect Sir Robert Chiltern, or it may be the enigmatic Lord Goring, supposedly a confirmed bachelor. Wilde's deliberately ambiguous title creates dramatic irony in this case, as it is difficult to say which character has the title role.
Like title roles in film and theater, the title character need not be the protagonist. It may be the main antagonist, for example, Sauron in The Lord of the Rings, Beetlejuice or The Mummy (Imhotep) in the 1999 film of that name. In Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein, the title character is Valentine Michael Smith but the character accepted as being the main character in that novel is Jubal Harshaw. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby is a major character, but his story is told by narrator and protagonist Nick Carraway. In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Dorothy Gale is the main character. In the video game The Legend of Zelda, the title character, Princess Zelda, is the damsel in distress, but the protagonist is Link. The title character may be unseen, for example Godot in Waiting for Godot or Jason Bourne in the 2012 film The Bourne Legacy.
Title character has been attributed to objects, for example the bus in the film and musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.[4]
Titular
The phrase "title character" can be replaced with a more descriptive one, identifying what type of person it is. For example, the title character of Dracula can be referred to as "the titular vampire", or the title character of Hamlet can be called "the titular prince of Denmark".
See also
- ^ Bell, Christoper E (July 30, 2012). Hermione Granger Saves the World: Essays on the Feminist Heroine of Hogwarts. McFarland. p. 21.
- ^ Hammer, Tonya R (April 2008). Myths, Stereotypes, and Controlling Images in Film: A Feminist Content Analysis of Hollywood's Portrayal of Women's Career Choices. p. 58. ISBN 9781243451705.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|UMI=ignored (help) - ^ The Best Test Preparation for the Advanced Placement Examination in English Literature & Composition. Research and Education Assocn. 1990. p. 83.
- ^ Tavener, Simon (February 28, 2013). "Priscilla - Queen of the Desert (Tour - Oxford)". What's on Stage: Theatre News.