A character that is always against the interest of the protagonist is

1. Analyze the question The question asks for the term for a character who is always working against the interests of the protagonist (the main character).

2. Explain the concept

• Protagonist: the central character of a story, usually the hero or heroine.
• Antagonist: the character or force that opposes the protagonist. When this is a person who is evil or acts with ill intent, he or she is called a villain.
• Hero/Heroine: the male or female protagonist, so these support the story's main interest rather than oppose it.

3. Work through the options

• A. Opposition: this is a general word for resistance, not a type of character in literary terms.
• B. Heroine: she is the female protagonist, so she cannot be against the protagonist's interest.
• C. Villain: the wicked character who schemes against the protagonist, which fits the question.
• D. Hero: he is the protagonist, so this is the opposite of what is asked.

4. Answer The correct option is C. villain.

5. Exam tip Remember the pairing Protagonist vs. Antagonist. In JAMB Literature, if an option names a character who opposes the main character, "villain" or "antagonist" is usually the answer. Be careful, though: an antagonist is not always evil (it can be a rival or even a force of nature), but a villain always is.