Seven Commandments

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See also: Seven Laws of Noah

Seven Commandments in the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell were a list of rules or laws that were supposed to keep order and ensure elementary Animalism within Animal Farm. The Seven Commandments were designed to unite the animals together in a common cause against the humans and to prevent animals from following the humans' evil habits.

The Seven Commandments of Animalism

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.

Later on, Napoleon and his pigs were corrupted by the absolute power they held over the farm. To maintain their popularity with the other animals, Squealer secretly painted additions to some commandments to make it benefit the pigs while keeping them free of accusation of breaking the laws.

1. No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets.
2. No animal shall drink alcohol to excess.
3. No animal shall kill any other animal without cause.

By the end of the novel, Napoleon had consolidated his twisted commandments into a singular law to control the other animals completely, while appearing to keep within the old boundaries of the Animalism laws: All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.