Glass of Water

In The Glass of Water the protagonist appears to be Bolingbroke. All of the struggles and conflict that arise in the story happen because of his design. The romance between Abigail and Arthur are central to the plot, but Bolingbroke uses this to his own advantage. He doesn’t fit the stereotypical trend of a “good guy” protagonist, but his struggle for power is always present in the story. His motives do appear to be pure, one being that he wants to stop the war. It’s also clear that he has his own personal ambitions as motives as well. Him being introduced as one of the first characters you quickly see how important he is to the plot. Throughout the entire play he uses his influence to gain control in the royal court. His constant struggles with the Duchess are what drives the plot of the story. That being the case, it’s clear that the antagonist of the play is the Duchess. They are both opposing forces that are trying to gain influence over the Queen. Since Bolingbroke is casted in a more positive light than the Duchess, it is more likely that an audience would root for him over her. The ending of the play brings an end to their battle of wits with Bolingbroke gaining power and the Duchess losing hers. This being the wrap up to the promotes even further Bolingbroke’s place as the protagonist.