How do I describe a "complex nature" of a character which consists of two "competing" personality traits in one sentence?
Solution 1:
You could use "paradoxical personality" -
Paradoxical
/ˌparəˈdɒksɪk(ə)l/
adjective
: seemingly absurd or self-contradictory.
Therefore -
"[Author] examines the protagonist's paradoxical personality, ... (description of the two traits)"