You are viewing a free preview of this lesson.
Subscribe to unlock all 10 lessons in this course and every other course on LearningBro.
Napoleon and Snowball are the two most important characters in Animal Farm. Understanding their individual characterisations, their rivalry, and how Orwell uses them to explore the corruption of revolution is essential for GCSE success. This lesson traces both characters through the novel, with key quotes and analysis.
Napoleon's journey can be mapped across four stages:
Quiet Schemer → Dictator → Tyrant → Indistinguishable from Humans
(Ch 1-4) (Ch 5-6) (Ch 7-9) (Ch 10)
Napoleon is introduced as "a large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar, not much of a talker, but with a reputation for getting his own way." This description is crucial — from the very start, Orwell signals that Napoleon operates through manipulation rather than persuasion.
While Snowball leads openly, Napoleon works behind the scenes:
Examiner's tip: Napoleon's early quietness is not passivity — it is strategic. While Snowball is busy with democratic projects, Napoleon is consolidating private power. This mirrors how Stalin built his power base through controlling appointments and institutions rather than public debate.
Napoleon reveals his true nature when he uses the dogs to expel Snowball. He then:
Squealer justifies every action:
"Do not imagine, comrades, that leadership is a pleasure. On the contrary, it is a deep and heavy responsibility."
Napoleon rules through terror. He:
Napoleon is described as "now never appeared in public" and when he does, "the dogs who acted as his bodyguard" surround him. He has become entirely separate from the animals he claims to lead.
Napoleon walks on two legs, wears clothes, carries a whip, and drinks alcohol. He changes the farm's name back to Manor Farm. In the final scene, he plays cards with the human farmers:
"The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."
| Quote / Detail | Chapter | What it reveals |
|---|---|---|
| "a large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar, not much of a talker, but with a reputation for getting his own way" | 2 | Strategic, domineering nature |
| Takes the puppies "saying he would make himself responsible for their education" | 3 | Secretly building a private army |
| Uses the dogs to chase Snowball away | 5 | Seizes power through violence, not argument |
| "Napoleon is always right" (Boxer's motto) | 5 | Exploits loyalty to create unquestioning obedience |
| "Do not imagine, comrades, that leadership is a pleasure" | 5 | Propaganda — presents tyranny as self-sacrifice |
| Orders the executions | 7 | Rules through terror |
| "our Leader, Comrade Napoleon" — cult of personality | 8 | Mirrors Stalin's self-glorification |
| Sells Boxer to the knacker | 9 | Betrays the revolution's most loyal servant |
| Walks on two legs, plays cards with humans | 10 | Has become the thing he claimed to oppose |
Snowball's journey is tragically cut short:
Idealist → Revolutionary Leader → Expelled → Scapegoat (in absentia)
(Ch 1-2) (Ch 3-5) (Ch 5) (Ch 6-10)
Snowball is described as "a more vivacious pig than Napoleon, quicker in speech and more inventive, but was not considered to have the same depth of character." Snowball is genuinely committed to the revolution:
Snowball is active, democratic, and intellectually engaged:
Subscribe to continue reading
Get full access to this lesson and all 10 lessons in this course.