Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

We're Not Sure about This, Either

Since it's hard to pin down the play's protagonist, it's even harder to name an antagonist, the character in opposition to the protagonist. If we want to get creative, we might say that it's ambition or pride itself, since these traits are what cause the characters to go after one another and act all crazy. Several of the characters point out how prideful and ambitious the nobles are in the play, and we see the nasty results right in front of us.

It's as if Shakespeare purposely leaves it ambiguous so that we have to figure out who the antagonist is for ourselves. So many of the characters are in opposition that it could be any of them. Is the antagonist York, because he's the one openly challenging Henry? Is it Margaret, who destroys everything and everyone in the way of her ambitions? Is it Cade, who unleashes a bloodbath on London? Is it all of them, in different ways? Chew on that one, Shmoopsters.