Animal Farm- Plot
What event sparks the rebellion on the farm?
Old Major’s speech plants the dream of freedom; then Jones’s neglect (drunkenly forgetting to feed the animals) triggers a spontaneous uprising. The animals break into the store-shed, Jones and his men lash out, and the animals drive them off the farm—this becomes the Rebellion.
What is the witches’ opening prophecy to Macbeth and Banquo?
To Macbeth: Thane of Glamis (current), Thane of Cawdor (imminent), and “king hereafter” (future). To Banquo: he will be “lesser… and greater,” “not so happy, yet much happier,” and beget kings though not be one—seeding Macbeth’s fatal ambition and fear of Banquo’s line.
Which character best represents the working class, and what happens to him?
Boxer. He is strong, loyal, and naïve (“I will work harder,” “Napoleon is always right”). When injured and no longer useful, the pigs sell him to the knacker. The cart marked “Horse Slaughterer” exposes the regime’s betrayal of its hardest worker.
What trait leads to Macbeth’s downfall?
Vaulting ambition amplified by suggestion (witches) and spousal pressure (Lady Macbeth). It overwhelms loyalty, reason, and morality, turning bravery into butchery.
Both Animal Farm and Macbeth begin with a dream or a prediction. What goes wrong with each?
In Animal Farm, Old Major’s dream of freedom is twisted into tyranny by the pigs.
In Macbeth, the witches’ prophecy sparks ambition that leads to murder.
Both show how good beginnings can turn bad when greed takes over.
What happens to the milk and apples after the rebellion?
The pigs secretly keep them “for brainwork.” Squealer claims pigs must have the milk and apples to think clearly for everyone’s sake, weaponising fear of Jones’s return: “Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back!”
Why does Macbeth decide to kill Banquo?
He fears the prophecy about Banquo’s descendants becoming kings. Macbeth calls his crown “fruitless” and his scepter “barren” and resents that he “filed” (soiled) his soul for another man’s heirs. He hires murderers to remove Banquo and Fleance (who escapes).
How does Napoleon maintain control?
Through fear (the dogs), propaganda (Squealer’s statistics and spin), historical revision (altered commandments), scapegoating (blaming Snowball), and exhaustion (endless windmill labour). Control rests on coercion + misinformation + depletion.
How does Lady Macbeth manipulate Macbeth?
She questions his manhood (“When you durst do it, then you were a man”), mocks his fears, and proposes the plan (drugging grooms, using their daggers). She swaps compassion for ruthless resolve—at first stronger, later unravelling.
Both works use fear to control others. Give one example from each.
Animal Farm: Napoleon’s dogs scare the animals into obedience.
Macbeth: Macbeth kills anyone who threatens him, spreading terror.
In both, fear replaces respect — and real leadership disappears.
How do the 7 commandments change throughout the novel? Give at least 2 examples
They are gradually edited to justify pig privilege:
“No animal shall sleep in a bed” → “with sheets.”
“No animal shall kill any other animal” → “without cause.”
“No animal shall drink alcohol” → “to excess.”
Eventually they collapse into one: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” This documents the betrayal of the original ideals.
What vision precedes Duncan’s murder and what does it mean?
Macbeth sees a dagger “before me, / The handle toward my hand,” smeared with “gouts of blood.” It externalises his murderous intent and inner conflict—the hallucination is guilt and desire taking shape, pulling him toward the deed.
How do Squealer’s speeches illustrate propaganda?
He uses loaded language, false statistics, appeals to fear (Jones’s return), and gaslighting (rewriting past events). He “could turn black into white,” showing how rhetoric manufactures consent against the animals’ interests.
Contrast Banquo’s response to the prophecies with Macbeth’s.
Banquo is cautious and morally anchored (“instruments of darkness tell us truths… to betray’s / In deepest consequence”). Macbeth fixates, acts to force fate, and commits murder. Banquo trusts time and virtue; Macbeth trusts violence.
Which two characters (one from each text) realise too late that their choices have gone too far?
Animal Farm: Clover finally sees the pigs’ corruption but feels powerless.
Macbeth: Lady Macbeth realises their crimes have destroyed her peace.
Both show regret that comes too late to fix the damage.
What role does the windmill play in the rising conflict?
It becomes a symbol of promised progress and a tool of manipulation. Snowball’s plan inspires hope; Napoleon opposes it, then steals the idea after expelling Snowball. Rebuilding after destruction (storms/attacks) keeps animals exhausted and obedient, while the pigs trade with humans and consolidate power.
How does Birnam Wood “move” to Dunsinane?
Malcolm’s soldiers cut branches to use as camouflage, making the forest appear to advance. This fulfils the witches’ equivocal prophecy and destroys Macbeth’s false sense of invincibility (“Till Birnam Wood remove to Dunsinane”).
How does the theme of corruption develop throughout Animal Farm?
At the beginning of the novel, all the animals share the same dream of equality. The pigs seem intelligent and promise to guide everyone fairly. But soon, they start taking small privileges — like keeping the milk and apples for themselves — and use clever excuses to justify it. As they gain more power, the pigs become dishonest and controlling. They change the commandments, use fear (the dogs), and rewrite history to stay in charge. By the end, Napoleon behaves exactly like Mr Jones: he drinks alcohol, walks on two legs, and makes deals with humans. The farm returns to tyranny — only now it is ruled by pigs instead of men. This shows that power can easily corrupt good intentions and destroy equality.
How is guilt presented? Comment on Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
Through hallucinations (dagger; Banquo’s ghost), sleep imagery (“Macbeth does murder sleep”), and blood motifs (Lady Macbeth’s “Out, damned spot!”). Guilt becomes physical and inescapable—what’s done cannot be “un-done.”
What do both stories suggest about the difference between appearance and reality?
On the farm, things look equal, but the pigs secretly change the rules.
In Scotland, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth look loyal but hide murder.
Both warn that appearances can hide dangerous truth.
How does the final banquet mirror the system the animals tried to destroy?
The pigs dine with humans, drink, gamble, and rename the farm “Manor Farm.” The animals watching cannot tell pig from man. The circle completes: hierarchy, exploitation, and human vices return under new rulers—exposing a full revolution-to-tyranny cycle.
How does Macbeth’s downfall complete the tragedy?
His hamartia (vaulting ambition) plus manipulation and equivocal prophecies drive regicide → paranoia → tyranny → isolation. With Lady Macbeth’s collapse and death, he fights nihilistically (“a tale / Told by an idiot”). Macduff—“from his mother’s womb untimely ripped”—kills him, restoring order and fulfilling fate he tried to outpace.
How does the animals’ fading memory enable tyranny?
ith poor literacy and fatigue, they can’t verify the past. Clover “could not remember” the commandments; Muriel and Benjamin read but stay passive. This memory erosion allows the pigs to rewrite truth, securing permanent control.
How does appearance vs reality shape meaning?
: Characters “look like the innocent flower / But be the serpent under’t.” The witches speak in half-truths; fair seems foul. False faces and equivocal words hide corruption, driving mistrust and tragedy.
In both Animal Farm and Macbeth, ordinary characters suffer because of their leaders’ choices. Choose one character from each text and explain how their suffering helps us understand the story’s message.
In Animal Farm, Boxer works tirelessly, believing in the Revolution and trusting Napoleon. His suffering — ending with his betrayal and death — exposes how corrupt leaders exploit loyal followers.
In Macbeth, Lady Macduff and her son are innocent victims murdered to protect Macbeth’s power. Their deaths highlight how ambition destroys not only the guilty but the innocent too.
Both stories show that when power is abused, it’s ordinary people who pay the price.