Who Magua is
Magua first appears as the guide leading Cora and Alice Munro toward their father's fort. He is a Huron living among the Mohawks, and he offers a shorter route through the woods. His skill and confident speech promise safety, but his manner gives reasons for doubt.
What Magua wants
Magua wants revenge against Colonel Munro, who punished him for drunkenness years before the journey. He remembers the punishment as a humiliation and sees Munro's daughters as a way to repay it. His private grievance brings another source of danger into a journey already threatened by war.
Magua and the others in the story
Hawkeye distrusts Magua and recognises that he has been leading the travellers away from safety. When the scout exposes the danger, Magua disappears into the forest rather than remain with the party.
Cora and Alice become targets of anger directed at their father, rather than enemies through anything they have done. Cooper presents Magua as cruel and vengeful, but also intelligent, proud and shaped by a wrong he cannot forgive.
Questions
Who is Magua in The Last of the Mohicans?
Magua is a Huron guide whose offer to lead the Munro sisters conceals a plan to capture them.
Why does Magua hate Colonel Munro?
Magua hates Munro because the colonel punished him for drunkenness, leaving him with a lasting sense of shame.
What is Magua's other name?
The French call him Le Renard Subtil, meaning the Subtle Fox.