In many parts of the world, researchers and policymakers alike report possible threats to democracy and its institutions. Accounts in the media of hatred and threats aimed at people taking part in public discourse, and of a polarized political debate, raise general questions about the current state and future of democratic dialogue and processes. Solutions are sought, by both research and policy, in the educational context. Some researchers have turned to the agonistic theory proposed by Chantal Mouffe, highlighting the democratic role of conflict and dissent. Empirical research on agonism in education is, however, scarce. In this article, we explore agonistic democratic theory in educational practice, more precisely in a conversation about a literary classic in an upper-secondary Swedish L1 classroom. Based on the analysis of data generated through a teacher-researcher collaboration, we propose six didactic conditions that are fruitful for what we call agonistic literary discussions. Contributing to the debate on how education could meet a possible threat to democracy, we argue that an agonistic approach is a productive path. This approach views democracy as an ongoing process, and it views the classroom as a place where the meaning of democracy can be negotiated.