Why Did They Kill Simon in 'Lord of the Flies,' and What Does His Death Signify?

Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 3 of Lord of the Flies.

The BBC (streaming on Netflix) series Lord of the Flies is an adaptation of the 1954 novel written by William Golding. The harrowing story follows a group of young boys who are stranded alone and must govern themselves. Although a well-known plot, like most media adaptations, the production runs the risk of the more subtle content being unclear to those who aren't familiar with the source material.

That seems to be what happened at the end of Episode 3, when Simon was killed. Viewers were confused as to why the character was murdered by the other boys. While the information is clear in the book, the TV show's scene was confusing. Here's an explanation as to why they killed poor Simon.

Simon's death was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Three things were happening at the same time, creating a cocktail of disaster. First, there was a storm, which made visuals unclear as people struggled to see through the rain. Next, Simon had left the group and gone off by himself. Third, the boys were entering an increasingly savage state as they were hyping themselves up — via a ritualistic dance — to kill the beast.

While alone, Simon discovered that "the beast" the group was so afraid of was actually a dead pilot whose body was still attached to his parachute. The young boy ran back to the group to inform them of what he'd learned. However, he was killed before he could explain. Given how scared and deranged the group of boys was at that moment, and the fact that the storm hindered visibility, they mistook Simon for the beast and killed him, believing they were killing the beast.

The boys killing Simon symbolizes a clear crossing of the line from civilized to savagery. The scene demonstrates the dangers of mob hysteria and blind fear, as the boys' franticness and encouraging each other's aggression is what led to Simon's unnecessary death. Had they taken a beat and assessed the situation, they would have realized they were attacking one of their own, and Simon would have had the chance to explain that there's no reason to fear the beast.

As for Simon, the boys' turning on him confirms his suspicions that the beast wasn't an actual creature but a symbol of who they could all become. The beast signifies the worst parts of human nature and the darkness within. As he says in the book, "Maybe there is a beast, but ... What I mean is, maybe it’s only us." In a twist of dark irony, Simon's attempt to tell his comrades that they don't need to be scared of the beast is exactly what unleashed the beast in them.