Name _____________________________
Date ________________
Antagonist and Protagonist
Directions: Read the story below and then answer the questions
Once upon a time in a land far away there lived a beautiful girl named Snow White. She
lived in a small cottage in the woods with her family. Snow White was loved by all who knew
her. She always wore a smile, and she enjoyed doing things for others. She helped her parents
and neighbors with chores each day. And she always took care of sick or injured animals that
she found in the forest.
In that same land, there lived a wicked Queen. The Queen had once been beautiful, and
she was very proud of that. Nowadays, few people noticed her beauty. You see, the Queen
was always frowning or scowling or shouting orders in the ugliest fashion. People generally
feared the Queen and stayed away from her as much as they could. Those who made her their
enemy soon regretted it.
Each night before she went to bed, the Queen would sit before her magic mirror. There
she would arrange her hair, smile just so, and ask, "Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is the
fairest of them all?" The Queen was used to hearing the mirror reply, "Why, you are the fairest
of them all, your Majesty." But on this night, the mirror said, "Although your beauty and charm
are grand, Snow White is the fairest in all the land."
The Queen flew into a rage. She flung her brush at the mirror and then demanded
between clenched teeth, "Who is this Snow White?" The poor cracked mirror told the Queen
everything it knew about Snow White.
"Well," snapped the Queen, "I will quickly see to it that Snow White is no longer a threat
to me. I will have her poisoned. Then I will once again be the loveliest in this land." She
ordered her finest soldier to disguise himself as a woodsman. He was to go into the forest,
locate Snow White, and then ask her help in nursing a cut on his hand. Once the soldier's hand
was bandaged, he would offer Snow White a beautiful, shiny red apple to repay her kindness.
The apple, of course, would be poisoned.
The Queen's plan unfolded just as she had expected. The young soldier saw Snow White
working in her garden. He asked for her help with his wound, and she tenderly cared for him.
The soldier was so taken with Snow White's beauty and goodness that he could not think of
offering her the poisoned apple. Instead, he confessed the Queen's plan to her.
When the people of the forest learned of the Queen's evildoing, they banded together,
with Snow White and the young soldier leading them. They marched to the castle and
demanded that the Queen step down as their ruler.
The Queen laughed angrily and called for her guards. But all her guards stood with Snow
White and the others. The Queen was left standing all alone. With no one to order around, she
was weak and helpless. She ran from the castle never to be seen nor heard from again.
Directions: Answer the following questions about the story.
1. Who is the protagonist in this story?
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2. What actions help you identify the character as the protagonist? Give Examples.
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3. Who is the antagonist in this story?
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4. What actions help you identify the character as the antagonist? Give Examples.
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5. What is the main problem, or conflict in this story?
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6. How is the conflict resolved?
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