The word protagonist literally means ‘the actor who is first in importance’. Both parts of this definition hold equal weight. A protagonist must always be an actor- someone who acts on his impulses, ideas and thoughts. Further, while in most literary works, there are always multiple actors, the protagonist is the one whose point of view the reader empathizes with, from whose perspective we see right and wrong, thereby making him the most important actor.
Every story has multiple microcosmic plots packed into it, and every character has her own part to play in putting those together. Here, the role of a protagonist is to control the story, by picking out which pieces of the story to tell, and which details to leave out. In LAS, this job is performed by Robert Audley. Although the narrative is in third person, we follow the story alongside Robert, finding out pieces of the plot as he unveils them.
In contrast, Lady Audley is seen from the outside. Despite the fact that the book is named after her, the entire plot hinges around hiding her story from the reader. As we read, we see her from various perspectives, first as beautiful and desirable, then as mysterious and worthy of suspicion and finally as a dishonourable madwoman. All these ideas stem from Robert Audley’s perceptions of her, enhancing his role as the protagonist.
Taking Lady Audley’s circumstances into consideration, a modern reader might be tempted to look at her as a victim. After all, all her misdeeds are triggered by her husband’s leaving, with no indication as to when he would return. However, since we read the story from Robert’s perspective, even today, George, the defecting husband, is the clear ‘good guy’, while Lady Audley, a distraught almost-widow, is the villain of the piece, giving a clear indication of how important the protagonist can be.