CONFLICT

Protagonists:

In The Last of the Mohicans, no single person can be identified as the protagonist, not even the actual last of the Mohicans, Uncas. It is rather the entire party of good characters. Duncan, Hawkeye, Cora, Alice, Uncas, Chingachgook and even David have all the characteristics of heroes. They are brave, practical, and very loyal. They face many hardships, yet remain determined and firm. They fight their enemies with courage and shrewdness and that is why the entire group of these brave men and women can be termed as the protagonists.

Antagonist:

The antagonist is none other than Magua. He is determined to take revenge on Munro by marrying his daughter Cora and making her his wife. He is extremely courageous and, despite many setbacks, continues to attack the protagonists. He is a man who is not loyal to anybody. When he does pledge his loyalty to any side, it is purely for his own selfish reasons. He uses his remarkable oratory skills to whip up the passions of his people, but he does so in order to serve his own purposes.

The climax of The Last of the Mohicans occurs in Chapter 32. After a fierce battle in which the protagonists and the Delawares defeat Magua and the Hurons, Magua and two of his men escape with Cora and are tracked to the edge of a cliff. Cora refuses to continue on, and Magua demands that she choose between his wigwam and his knife. As he hesitantly raises the blade, Uncas leaps at him. Meanwhile, a Huron stabs Cora in the bosom, Uncas kills Cora's assailant before being killed by Magua. Magua leaps away, jumping from one cliff to another and mocking his enemies. He loses his step and nearly falls off one cliff, but manages to hang onto a shrub on its edge. Just as he is recovering, however, Hawkeye raises the muzzle of his gun and shoots Magua, who slips to his death.

Outcome:

The outcome is tragic, for although the treacherous Magua is vanquished by Hawkeye, both Cora and Uncas die. Cora is killed by her assailant and Uncas, the last of the Mohicans, is killed by the evil Magua.

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