Favourite literary protagonists

With the celebration of World Book Day on March 1, we thought we'd put together a list of some of the characters who have had a big influence on us — even if they happen to be fictional!

The Greeks

Achilles
Apart from being the most handsome and most agile of heroes assembled against Troy, in the first two lines of Homer's Iliad, he is the only mortal who can experience god-like, consuming rage. He is humanised by war and revered as a hero of grief and a hero of glory. No wonder he got a 'heel' named after him!

Odysseus
Quick-witted, clever (who can forget the Trojan horse?) irresistible and probably the only one capable of shooting an arrow through 12 axes, Odysseus' 3,000-year cultural odyssey has managed to keep up with the ages.

The Russians

Anna Karenina
The ravishing, aristocratic and literate heroine of Leo Tolstoy's pinnacle of realist fiction. Through her we see the main events of her time, even as her pursuit of love and emotional honesty over the conventional fakery exiles her from society.

The English

Hamlet
Shakespeare's hero's magnificent, isolated and tortured soul takes first place for the unsurpassed fame of his musing "To be, or not to be." He talks more than any other Shakespearean creation (making the Guinness Book of Records) and is a character that gets around the most — you'll find him on stage from Tokyo to Tuscany.

Darcy and Elizabeth
While Elizabeth Bennett is one of the best-known female characters in English Literature, we had to pair Austin's Pride & Prejudice duo, for despite their arrogance and pride they manage to rise above all obstacles — including their own personal failings — to find romantic happiness.

Alice
Hate her or love her, Lewis Carroll's young protagonist lost in a wonderland tale that plays with logic in all sorts of ways has made her and the story popular with children as well as adults of all generations.

Sherlock Holmes
The most ingenious of literary characters, this Baker Street detective is still in demand, receiving thousands of letters yearly from fans worldwide seeking his services along with little help of long time-friend Dr Watson. No wonder Conan Doyle couldn't kill him — Holmes's unstoppable mind and ego make him an unmistakable favourite.

Contemporary

Winston Smith
Curious and rebellious, Winston's long and thoughtful reflections allow George Orwell to explore the nightmarish world of totalitarianism and drive us through the novel's most important themes: language as mind control, psychological and physical torture, manipulation, resistance and the importance of knowing the past.

Stephen Dedalus
James Joyce's semi-autobiographical stand-in in The Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, Dedalus is also prominent in the first couple of chapters of Ulysses. It is a truly enriching pleasure watching him as he evolves and adapts, learning to grow and rebel.

Fantasy

Aragorn
A popular favourite from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of The Rings, this tall, dark and handsome hero possesses elfin wisdom and the unmatched skills of a mighty warrior making him victorious in the war against Sauron so that he can take his rightful place as heir to the throne.

Harry Potter and co
With the unprecedented global coverage given to the release of the series' last book and the continuing multi-million dollar movie franchise, it seems the legacy of the young, scarred wizard and his loyal friends is going to be around for quite some time … and we're sure no one is complaining!

The Anti-Heroes and Villains
Let's face it, they too deserve a round of applause for being the needed driving force in some of the best-loved novels of all time. Here's our pick of the best that made your knees tremble with fear, or left you in shock as your limbs turned numb!