Final answer:
In Ernest Hemingway's 'The Old Man and the Sea,' the ultimate opponent encompasses the marlin, the sea, and the protagonist's internal struggles, representing physical and existential battles central to Hemingway's themes.
Step-by-step explanation:
In The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, the ultimate opponent is not a single entity but a combination of the marlin, the sea, and the old man's internal struggles. As the story progresses, the marlin represents a worthy adversary whose strength and endurance challenge the old man. However, the sea itself is also a formidable opponent, vast and indifferent to human suffering, exemplified by the struggle of the men against the currents and the danger of drowning. Lastly, the old man faces an internal battle with his own limitations, aging, and the inevitable decline of his abilities. The physical and existential challenges he faces are emblematic of Hemingway's themes of resilience, individualism, and man's relationship to nature.
The excerpt "Would you hear of an old-time sea-fight? Would you learn who won by the light of the moon and stars?" underscores the timeless and universal nature of the struggle between humans and the elemental forces embodied in the sea. The critical attention paid to masculine agency and its displacement in Hemingway's fiction highlights these battles as central to his works, emphasizing his characters' attempts to reclaim control and mastery amid life's adversities.