My School Play - Advice please

[Old Major]

As a budding (and utterly brilliant :p) young actor, I recently auditioned for a part in a school play. The play is a stage adaptation of Orwell's Animal Farm, and I landed myself the part of Old Major (Which inspired my username). I wondered if anyone had any advice on how to play the character, as I am a little unsure. Should I take him as literally being Marx, or should I see him as his own character, and how would you expect him to act. Thankyou for your help!

(I'm sorry if this is in the wrong section. I'm only new :()

[Pogue]

miserably but austerely, maybe like an old man telling his grandkids about the war, interesting, listenable too, likeable but miserable

[Old Major]

miserably but austerely, maybe like an old man telling his grandkids about the war, interesting, listenable too, likeable but miserable
Thanks. All good stuff.

[Angry Young Man]

No, not miserably! Wistfully! And with the kind of reverence that he is ascribed in the book. Will you be standing up or on all fours? Speak quietly. And of course, see yourself and your co-stars how he should be played.

And if you're so great, why are you not Napoleon or Benjamin? Not that I want to piss on your chips, like

[MarxSchmarx]

Old Major is arguably more Lenin than Marx, because the whole Snowball-Napoleon thing has to be Trotsky-Stalin to work. So I would see if you can combine a deep sense of idealism with an utter ruthlessness that scares your audience.

[Angry Young Man]

I'd advise against fear. My advice would be to act paternal.