‘The Substance of Story’ discusses the role of the protagonist in Narrative. McKee’s checklist of creating a well-rounded character and story is helpful, but I think it’s best to keep it in mind as a list of pointers as opposed to strict guidelines. Yes it is important that the protagonist has a chance to attain his desires, but I don’t believe it is always necessary for a story to have closure for example. A few loose ends can leave it open to interpretation for the viewer, and is engaging. McKee touches on some solid points though.
It is important for the protagonist to be relatable or empathic, whereas being likable or sympathetic is an option, so McKee says. Macbeth being a ruthless killer, yet still an empathetic hero enhances this point. In McKee’s words, “in the hands of the greatest writers, even the most unsympathetic character can be made empathetic”. This empathy is created through a deep connection formed between the audience and the character. Take for example nearly every character on Game of Thrones. We feel empathy for each of them, but this doesn’t translate into sympathy.
When you think protagonist, generally speaking, you consider only one character. McKee’s explanation introduced me to various forms of protagonist/s within a story. The multi-protagonist approach employed frequently by Quentin Tarantino follows multiple individual story lines. This is evident in Pulp Fiction. And in fact, within Pulp Fiction we have the plural-protagonist approach in action, i.e. the story of Vincent and Jules played by John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson respectively. Vincent and Jules experience some of the same highs and lows, but they also experience their own set of highs and lows.
I want to play around with this multi, plural protagonist idea. It’s something I haven’t paid attention to before.
Reference
- McKee, Robert. (1997). ‘The substance of story.’ In Story: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting. New York, USA: HarperCollins, pp. 135-154
– Gabriel