# The Monkey — Aesop's Fables character guide

> The Monkey in Aesop's Fables by Aesop.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** The Monkey, the Monkey, O Monkey

**First appearance:** 0032-the-fox-and-the-monkey

## Snapshot

A born imitator whose cleverness curdles into vanity, forever aping his betters and stumbling into the traps his own foolishness sets.

## Who they are

In Aesop's world the Monkey belongs to that restless tribe of creatures who mistake imitation for intelligence and applause for wisdom. He watches, copies, and overreaches, driven less by hunger than by the itch to seem as clever as he thinks he looks. His misadventures anchor the fables' running argument that wit without judgment is just another kind of foolishness.

## In the story

### [The Fox and the Monkey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/fables_se/chapters/the-fox-and-the-monkey)

Claims falsely that the cemetery monuments honor his ancestors, boasting without fear of contradiction.

### [The Apes and the Two Travellers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/fables_se/chapters/the-apes-and-the-two-travellers)

The King of the Apes, who demands flattery and punishes honesty.

### [The Monkey as King](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/fables_se/chapters/the-monkey-as-king)

Elected king by the animals but easily tricked by the Fox into a trap.

### [Jupiter and the Monkey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/fables_se/chapters/jupiter-and-the-monkey)

Presents her baby, which is ridiculed by the gods, but she defends its beauty.

### [The Wolf, the Fox, and the Ape](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/fables_se/chapters/the-wolf-the-fox-and-the-ape)

Serves as the judge, delivering a paradoxical verdict that reflects the theme of distrust toward the dishonest.

### [The Monkey and the Camel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/fables_se/chapters/the-monkey-and-the-camel)

Entertains the assembly with his dancing, earning applause and provoking the Camel's envy.

### [The Monkey and the Dolphin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/fables_se/chapters/the-monkey-and-the-dolphin)

A pet on board a ship; pretends to be an Athenian of distinguished family but is exposed as a liar.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/fables_se/characters/the_monkey
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/fables_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/fables_se/characters