Cecil Clayton is the main antagonist of the 1999 Disney animated film Tarzan. He had accompanied Jane and Archimedes Q. Porter on their expedition to Africa as their guide, but his true motive for joining them was to hunt gorillas and sell them on the black market. He was voiced by Brian Blessed.
History[]
When Jane Porter and her father journeyed to Africa to study the native gorillas, Clayton joined the expedition as their guide and protector. What the Porters weren't aware of was that Clayton was only interested in hunting the gorillas for sport and profit.
As the group explored the jungle, they came upon Tarzan, a man who had been living amongst the gorillas his entire life. Jane and Archimedes were fascinated and decided to study Tarzan, learning about his ability to mimic various sounds and even teaching him some basic English. Clayton tried to get Tarzan to tell him where the gorillas were nesting, but Tarzan was more interested in learning about humans.
Days later, a cargo ship arrived to pick up the explorers and escort them back to England, much to their dismay. As the ship's crew loaded up their luggage and supplies, Clayton and Jane attempted to reason with the captain and request more time, but the captain refused, fearing falling behind his schedule. Clayton subsequently blamed Jane for distracting herself with teaching Tarzan, but Jane retorted that she was just as upset about not being able to find the gorillas. With both his and his employers' goals thwarted, Clayton prepared to leave Africa with Jane and Professor Porter until he witnessed Tarzan asking Jane to stay while presenting her flowers. Realizing Tarzan had strong feelings for Jane, he manipulated the ape-man into believing that they'll stay if he took them to the gorillas. This is, of course, not true—Jane would have had to return to England at some point anyway. Tarzan, however, was convinced and had Kerchak, the head gorilla, distracted so that he could lead Jane to the gorillas. Upon arrival, Clayton secretly forged a map to the troop's home. Kerchak returned unexpectedly, though, and was angered by the trespassers and attacked Clayton after the hunter threatened one of the family during a skirmish.
Tarzan got between Kerchak and Clayton, saving the hunter's life. Outraged and feeling betrayed, Kerchak disowned Tarzan from the family. Having been cast out, Tarzan decided that he would leave with Jane. However, Clayton rallied the crew of the cargo ship to hold Tarzan, Jane and Archimedes captive on board while Clayton returned to the jungle with a hunting party.
Clayton and his party began rounding up the gorillas and caging them. However, Tarzan, Jane and Archimedes had been freed from the cargo ship by Tarzan's friends, the elephant Tantor and the young gorilla Turk. Together, they attacked Clayton's posse and freed the captured gorillas, including Tarzan's adoptive mother Kala. Kerchak and Tarzan attacked Clayton together, but Clayton fired off a round from his rifle, grazing Tarzan's arm but mortally wounding Kerchak.
Death[]
Enraged that Tarzan had interfered with his plans, Clayton pursued the ape-man into the trees. They both exchanged blows briefly, nature versus civilization, but nature won when Tarzan caused Clayton to drop his rifle. Tarzan then grabbed the rifle and pointed it at him. Clayton teased Tarzan by telling him to "be a man" and shoot him, but Tarzan realized that doing it would only make him no better than Clayton. In retaliation, Tarzan angrily pressed the rifle's muzzle against Clayton's neck and instead imitated a loud gunshot noise, startling Clayton. Tarzan then retorted that he was not a man like him, and smashed the rifle.
After watching the pieces of his beloved gun fall to the ground, Clayton flew into a rage and drew his machete. Tarzan jumped back into a mass of vines to escape Clayton's furious swipes. The ape man managed to ensnare Clayton in the vines, but Clayton mindlessly hacked at them with his machete in an attempt to free himself, not noticing that one of the vines had slipped like a noose around his neck. Seeing this, Tarzan tried to warn the hunter, but in his rage, Clayton accidentally cut the vine he was holding on to, causing him and Tarzan to plummet toward the ground. Tarzan landed safely, but Clayton was hanged by the vine and died when it snapped his neck. A flash of lightning briefly illuminated the shadow of his hanged corpse, swaying ever so slightly in the breeze, the jungle having claimed him.