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Chapter 12
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Last Unicorn, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Love and Friendship
Mortality and Innocence
Obsession and Control
Belief and Stories
Summary
Analysis
As Molly, Schmendrick, Lady Amalthea, and Prince Lír walk through the darkness, Schmendrick tells Prince Lír about their travels and tries to explain how the Red Bull has trapped all the world’s other unicorns in the sea outside King Haggard’s castle because the king ordered him to do so. That is, all unicorns except one, with the last one being Lady Amalthea. When Prince Lír says that he knows what Lady Amalthea really is, Schmendrick is surprised, though the prince says only that he loves whom he loves. At some point, Lady Amalthea decides she can no longer walk any further and asks Prince Lír to not let Schmendrick turn her back into a unicorn—she claims that she is human now and loves him. Although Schmendrick agrees because he believes he can’t turn her back to a unicorn, Prince Lír refuses: he explains that as a hero, he knows that a story cannot end in the middle, and quests cannot be abandoned.
Despite Prince Lír’s earlier showy attempts to win Lady Amalthea’s heart, he demonstrates that he’s grown to understand and truly care for her. In contrast with greedy people like King Haggard, who wants to own all the unicorns in the world, and the various men who tried capturing the unicorn, Prince Lír shows that he’s capable of putting the unicorn’s wellbeing above his personal desires. While he wants a relationship with Lady Amalthea, who now says that she loves him, he instinctively knows that the unicorn’s quest can’t end with her conceding to living as a human. As such, even though he’s been obsessed with Lady Amalthea in the past, he’s still able to see what’s best for her.
Active
Themes
The Red Bull appears, ready to rampage. Doubtful of his magic, Schmendrick begins to worry that he won’t be able to help Lady Amalthea. As the bull rages on, the ground breaks beneath everyone’s feet, and Prince Lír places himself between the bull and Lady Amalthea. This sight inspires Schmendrick to not give up: he says a few words of a spell and feels his immortality drop away, finally breaking his own curse. The unicorn stands now, returned to her original form, though her horn is dim. Lír again tries to protect her from the Red Bull, but he stands no chance and is trampled. The unicorn screams, light pouring back into her horn, and she chases after the Red Bull. She chases him, and he surrenders himself to the sea. In turn, the captured unicorns free themselves from the sea. Schmendrick notices King Haggard’s castle falling in the distance.
Active
Themes
