As Kay develops as a character, he remains overly proud
and arrogant, but also becomes more likable. We feel more sympathy
for the Wart, but once Kay is given his chance to shine, he shows
some admirable traits. For example, Kay proves to be very brave,
and he has an unerring skill at archery that allows him to shoot
the griffin and save his companions. Kay is bound to emerge as the
quest’s hero, since it is his adventure, but he behaves with courage
and good grace nonetheless. The Wart is not a hero in this episode
in the same sense as Kay, since he does not win fights or kill beasts.
The Wart does, however, have an unusually strong sense of kindness
and compassion, and he is consistently selfless. After he and Kay
rescue Robin Hood’s friends from the fairy, the Wart seeks only
to have Wat cured. He is not interested in the superficial
trappings of glory; rather, he cares about his fellow human beings
and wants what is in their best interests.
The Wart’s trip to the ant colony makes a powerful statement
on how societies run the risk of becoming overly rigid and uniform. The
ant society is clearly communal, but not because each member chooses
to work for the common good. Rather, each ant blindly does whatever
task it has been assigned. Chillingly, the ants depend on this conformity,
and while the Wart is horrified by this cold and faceless society,
the other ants find the monotony comforting. Whereas the king pike
of the moat demonstrates to the Wart the cruelty of individual tyranny,
the ants are an example of the tyranny of the masses, under which
freedom is willfully surrendered. This is a society so practical
that, as the sign on the tunnels that lead to the gates says, everything
not forbidden is compulsory. The emphasis on labor and
the contradictory messages that are continuously broadcast have
a contemporary ring. The ant society seems to represent communist
societies, which often revolved around the idea that each member
would labor for the common good. This episode aims not only to teach
the Wart how dangerous these supposed utopias can be, but also to
alert us to the fallacies of socialist society.
