“He wants to know what you’re going to do about the snake-thing.”(Golding, 1954,p35)
This is the first mention of The beast and it symbolises the dark side of human nature and introduces fear into their island paridise.
As Simon thought this, he turned to the poor broken thing that sat stinking by his side. The beast was harmless and horrible, and the news must reach the others as soon as possible.(Golding, 1954,p147)
Simon discovers that the beast the boys thought they found was actually a dead human pilot. Simon wishes to calm the boys' fears that the beast is not real. The dead pilot, who symbolizes war and humans' ability to kill each other, however, that points to a different kind of beast, the evil that exists within all humans.
Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! Do him in!” The sticks fell and the mouth of the new circle crunched and screamed. The beast was on its knees in the center, its arms folded over its face.#160;(Golding, 1954,p152)
After dancing, Jack's tribe, Ralph, and Piggy feast on roast pig. What started as a search to find and kill a pig has evolved into a chant to hunt and kill the beast. The boys become much more violent as a result of this adjustment. They allow themselves to be duped into mistaking Simon for the beast, and they murder him as a result. This is the point at which Simon is killed which they thought was the beast.