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Lord of the Flies - Character

This GCSE Literature quiz focuses on Lord of the Flies characters, helping you revise how Ralph, Jack, Piggy and Simon change as civilisation on the island breaks down.

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Fascinating Fact:

Piggy is physically vulnerable and mocked, yet he has the clearest grasp of logic, adult rules, and the importance of the conch.

In GCSE English Literature, you need to show how writers present characters and their conflicts. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses Ralph, Jack, Piggy and Simon to explore leadership, fear, bullying and the collapse of order.

Key Terms

Protagonist: The main character who drives the story. In Lord of the Flies, Ralph is often seen as the main protagonist.
Antagonist: A character who opposes the protagonist, creating conflict. Jack increasingly acts as Ralph’s antagonist on the island.
Symbol: An object, character or event that stands for a bigger idea, such as the conch representing order and shared rules.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What does the conch represent in Lord of the Flies?

The conch shell represents order, shared rules and respectful discussion. When the boys obey its signals, meetings are organised and fair, but as its influence fades, their society falls into chaos.

How are Ralph and Jack different in Lord of the Flies?

Ralph wants rescue, shelters and cooperation, while Jack becomes obsessed with hunting, power and fear. Their growing conflict shows how quickly civilisation can be challenged by violence and desire for control.

How do I write about characters in Lord of the Flies for GCSE English?

Choose a character, link your point to the question, use short quotations, explain what they reveal about the character and connect this to themes like leadership, fear, innocence and civilisation.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

Which of the following adjectives does NOT describe Piggy?

Clever

Cowardly

Loyal

Respectful

Piggy respects the rule of law and shares Ralph's focus on improving the boys' chances of escaping the island. He occasionally shows fear, but is courageous when confronting Jack's tribe

2 .

Who best understands the real source of danger on the island?

Simon

Roger

Piggy

Jack

Simon knows that the beast which everyone fears is really the boys' own potential for violence

3 .

Which of the following is NOT true of Samneric?

They nearly always act together

They are never afraid

They remain loyal to Ralph for longer than most of the boys

They each complete the other's sentences

Sam and Eric, the twins, are so similar and so frequently together that they earn the nickname "Samneric", short for "Sam and Eric". They are terrified of the dead parachutist and consequently abandon the fire on the mountain. The twins are loyal to Ralph until captured and are fearfully subordinate to Jack's tribe by feeding Ralph and warning him of the hunt

4 .

When we first meet Ralph, he is known as which of the following?

The fat boy

The fair boy

The cloaked boy

The choir boy

Each of the characters is presented to the reader as a first, physical impression. This technique shows the reader how the boys first perceive one another

5 .

Which of the following characters demonstrates a taste for physical cruelty?

Roger

Simon

Sam

Ralph

Jack uses Roger's enjoyment of cruelty to frighten the other boys and keep them loyal to his group

6 .

What does Ralph regret at the end of the novel?

The loss of his friend, Piggy

The evil of which humankind is capable

The end of innocence

All of the above

When Ralph cries for the very first time since arriving on the island, he weeps for "the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy"

7 .

What gives Jack his air of authority when he first meets the rest of the boys on the island?

His father is in the army

He is by far the oldest of the boys

He is the kindest boy

He commands the group of choir boys

Jack is head boy and chapel chorister; his command of the choir makes him seem like a good leader. The other boys on the island vote for Ralph, however, when asked to elect a chief

8 .

Which of the following is correct of Ralph?

He is easily distracted by the promise of adventure

He is happy to spend all day in the lagoon while letting everyone else work

He remains focussed on survival and rescue

He does not show any care for the younger boys

Ralph becomes distressed when the other boys seem to abandon the aim of escaping the island, for example by allowing the fire to go out

9 .

For which of the following does Piggy argue when he lectures the boys at Castle Rock?

The value of hunting

The value of leisure

The value of freedom

The value of rules

Piggy argues passionately for the rule of law and the value of being "sensible". By killing him the boys in Jack's group choose a hierarchy based on violence over a common consent to rules and to Ralph's leadership

10 .

Who can no longer repeat his name at the end of the novel?

Percival

Ralph

Merridew (Jack)

Sam

The very young boy, Percival Wemys Madison, announces his full name when he introduces himself. When the boys are rescued at the end of the novel, Percival cannot report his own name to the officer

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Characters

Author: Sheri Smith (PhD English Literature, English Teacher & Quiz Writer)