The novel The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis is a Christian allegory about the end of humankind and the Day of Judgment. It depicts how the world will end, and how human beings will be judged at the end of Time. In The Last Battle, the character of the ape Shift is an allegorical representation of the all of the worst temptations of humankind-the lust for power, greed for riches, and the desire not to take responsibility for making decisions. Shift only acts out of self-serving motivations. He does not aspire to do what is right. Shift merely wishes to fulfill his own ambitions, like Satan's desire to gain control over humanity in the Bible. Shift will do anything to realize his objectives, even if his means and goals are immoral. Shift tempts good people, like the donkey Puzzle to give up their God-given free will in what they think is their own self-interest, but is really in the devil Shift's own self-interest. Shift's misdeeds underline the core message of the novel, which is that people should trust their own moral instincts, and their own soul, rather than give up their ability to make choices to other people who only seem to know better.
             From the beginning of the novel, Shift uses fear and the appearance of moral, divine authority to trick others. He takes advantage of the weakness and low self-esteem other creatures. Like the devil, he wishes to create his own kingdom in a good land, in service of his own aims, not of the better aspects of the human soul and goodness. Shift may seem like a good person on the surface, but really he only takes on the appearance of good people like Aslan. He seems powerful, but requires others like Puzzle to do his will-so he really has no power at all. He only has power when people give up their freedom to make their own good decisions, and when they refuse to question his demands that they act against their own nature.
             The function of the ape in the tale is to underline t...