The Seven Commandments in Orwell's Animal Farm Essay Example

The Seven Commandments play a major role when it comes to understanding Animal Farm. The story starts with Animals frustrated with all human beings for their undeserved privileges and advantages in life. They believe that humans work for nothing and have everything given to them. This being said, they decide to revolt against the man whose farm they live on, Mr, Jones, and create their new farm. They call it “The Animal Farm”. 

After betraying Mr Jones and establishing The Animal Farm, the animals assemble a list of commandments that are required to follow in order to keep peace on their new farm, and for all the animals to vow to always live by. “These 7 Commandments would now be inscribed on the wall; they would form an unalterable law by which all the animals on Animal Farm must live forever after”. (Orwell 24). The 7 commandments were important for the animals when creating the Animal Farm because it gave them something to have faith with and to truly stand by.

“(1) Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. (2) Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings is a friend. (3) No animal shall wear clothes. (4) No animal shall sleep in a bed. (5) No animal shall drink alcohol. (6) No animal shall kill any other animal. (7)  All animals are equal.” (Orwell 24-25) These are the seven commandments that the animals had originally listed for themselves to follow. However, as the story progresses, the commandments change and the animals no longer follow what was originally pictured as the rules for the animal farm.

Many of the new commandments that are given for the animals to follow completely contradict the original commandments. This plays a big role in the animal’s confusion on who they are and what they are meant to contribute to the farm and the world. There is a definite example of the differentiation between the original commandments and the altered ones. For instance, three of the new commandments are that (1) No animal shall drink alcohol to excess. (2) No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets. (3) No animal shall kill any other animal without cause. 

All three of these statements completely contradict the original commandments, given that initially, they were (1) No animal shall drink alcohol. (2) No animal shall sleep in a bed. (3) No animal shall kill any other animal. Also, another notable difference in the animal’s change of allegiance is that one of the original commandments was “No animal shall wear clothes”, but by the end, all the animals end up wearing clothing. 

The consequences of the animals not following the commandments first given to them was the Animal Farm ultimately failing and the animal revolution, or rebellion, not being able to continue. The animal’s change of faith led to inconsistencies in their final goal. This happened because the original commandments were able to become altered, which subconsciously taught others that the rules didn’t matter if breaking them was for good reason. I firmly believe that if someone had gotten the animals to follow through with what was said in the original commandments, the ending of the Animal Farm could have been different, and they even may have succeeded.