Tarzan
Apr 14, 2012 14:22:48 GMT -5
Post by Tarzan on Apr 14, 2012 14:22:48 GMT -5
Introduce yourself.
character basics.
Age: 23
Species: Human, though he feels more akin to a gorilla
Birthplace: The Royal Crown Colony of South Africa
Movie: Tarzan
Title: Lord of the Apes
Why: Why'd you pick this character?
Ever since I read that first novel, I've adored the character of Tarzan. And Disney did much more to get the vision of the character right than any previous film, IMHO. I was considering several other human male characters, but when Tarzan became available, he just felt "right" to me.
[/font][/ul][/ul]
Character appearance (try to get at least 2 or 3 sentences for each section)
Tarzan has never seen a pair of scissors, and even if he had, he wouldn't want to cut off even a lock of his hair, since his head appears to be the only place he can grow any.
Facial description/mood expressions: Tarzan's features are lean and sharp, and to the casual observer, his expression might be hard to read (apes are more about body language). But his light blue-grey eyes are very soulful; in fact, they seem to bore right into your innermost heart. BTW, his eyes were the feature that first attracted Jane.
Clothing style: "Style" is such a strong word. Actually, Tarzan isn't really into clothing. He wears a skimpy loincloth, and that is all. And if he was as hairy as his ape family, he wouldn't even wear that.
Tarzan has had some experience with Victorian-style clothing, but he's not too keen on it.
Body build: Now we're talkin'! The rigours of jungle living have given Tarzan a wealth of finely-chiselled muscles. Though not as bulky as, say, Hercules, his lean form is toned to perfection.
Any unique traits (optional) : Tarzan can use his feet almost as well as his hands for climbing, holding and even carrying.
[/font][/ul][/ul]
Original character analysis. (Everything must be in your own words! Please be thorough.)
Tarzan's dual nature makes him a complex character.
Raised by apes, he is an expert at jungle survival. In that society, he is a respected leader, the most intelligent member of the tribe, and responsible for their safety, a position he excells at. He is an expert at every type of wood-craft known to animals and can be a savage fighter.
When in the company of humans, however, Tarzan becomes the exact opposite. He knows almost nothing of civilized customs, his speech is rudimentary at best, and he displays a child-like curiosity in everything he sees.
A new acquaintance might assume he is dealing with an infantile mind, but don't be fooled. Tarzan is highly intelligent and a very fast learner.
He has a great deal of naivete and has a hard time understanding the concept of lying. This makes him easily manipulated, a ready target for deceivers.
Tarzan has a finely-developed sense of duty, putting the needs of others before his own. He also has a playful side, and enjoys imitating sounds, mimicking others and even scaring his mother when he can.
History:
The 8th Earl of Greystoke, though an English citizen, was born in South Africa, then a British colony. His father, the 7th Earl had traveled to Africa on business, and his young wife, though with child, had insisted on accompanying him. It was one of the things that had attracted them to each other, their mutual love of adventure, and she was not about to let her husband roam about the Dark Continent without her. besides which, the baby was not due for a good many months yet.
Circumstances and delays, however, kept the couple from returning to England as planned, and their child was born in the colony. No matter, the baby would have to get used to travel sooner or later if he was to be part of this family.
The child was only a few months old when the Earl and Countess began the journey back to England, a journey that ended, however, in tragedy. One of the ship's steam boilers exploded, killing several of the crew and setting the ship afire. The Earl bravely aided with the fire-fighting efforts alongside the common seamen, until the call came to abandon ship.
Then it was every man for himself.
As the sailors swarmed into the lifeboats, the English nobleman ran in search of his young family, just barely setting them adrift in time in the last lifeboat.
The young family ran aground on some unknown section of the coastline, where they proceeded to make themselves a home utnil such time as they might be rescued or enabled to make their way back to civilization.
Though they fearlessly utilized every means to ensure their own safety, it wasn't enough to keep them from the harsh realities of jungle life. Sabor the leopard killed the Earl and his wife before two months had passed, leaving their infant child an orphan.
He certainly would've died if not for the timely arrival of Kala the gorilla. Still mourning the death of her own baby in the jaws of the same leopard, the she-ape bestowed all her mother's love upon the strange creature, naming him "Tarzan," which, in the language of the Great Apes means "white skin."
The ape tribe treated Tarzan as a freak, a puny, hairless gorilla-like thing only tolerated because of Kala. Her own mate Kerchak was disgusted with the boy and his inability to master the simplest ape lessons.
This caused a good deal of grief to young Tarzan, whose only real friend was his foster cousin Terk. And even she wasn't all that crazy about him.
Desperate to fit in and find acceptance, Tarzan worked ten times harder than the others to prove himself a true gorilla. Although his body was smaller and weaker, he had a much keener intellect, teaching himself to climb and swing through the trees, to use his feet like hands, and to identify scents as animals do.
In addition, he used tools to make up for his deficiencies, inventing spears, knives and lassos and methods for harvesting termites and creating shelter from the rain. Tarzan even created the sport of tree-surfing.
It wasn't until he proved himself in a battle with Sabor that Tarzan was truly accepted as one of the ape tribe, at last earning the respect he so craved from Kerchak. Content to be a gorilla for the rest of his life, everything changed when he first laid eyes on another human being.
The day Tarzan saw the Porter safari in the jungle, a new curiosity was awakened in him; he had to know who they were and, once and for all, what he was. Then Kala revealed to him his origin, and Tarzan knew he was a Man, not a gorilla. He was even prepared to leave the jungle, to travel to the world of men and take his place there, though he couldn't possibly understand what that would entail.
When the Professor's guide, Clayton revealed his true colors and attacked the gorilla family, Tarzan realized two things. First, he had no desire to be a man like Clayton. And, second, the gorillas who raised him had first claim to his loyalty; with Kerchak dead, they had no leader and would fall easy prey to the dangers of the jungle.
So Tarzan decided to stay in the jungle, giving up the woman he loved. Fortunately for him, Jane loved him, too, enough to remain in Africa. They two were married by the captian of the ship Jane had meant to sail on, and even Tarzan's new father-in-law chose to change his civilized ways for jungle life.
Ambitions:
To be the best ape ever!
To learn more about everything
To keep his ape family safe
Just to be free
Strengths & abilities:
Excellent tracking skills
Uncanny agility
Intelligent and inventive
Stronger than average
Communicates with animals
Can surf through trees
Courageous
Sense of duty
Good at imitating
Fast learner
Flaws:
Easily tricked or manipulated
Naive
Too curious
Behaves like an animal
Likes:
Gorillas
Books
Learning new things
Being free
Peanuts
Raw meat
Dislikes:
Hunting for sport of trophies
Snakes
Cages
Civilization (okay to visit, but wouldn't want to live there)
Wearing clothing
Evil men
Fears:
Harm to his loved ones
Failing as a leader
What makes this character unique: Tarzan almost has two personas: naive among humans and an intelligent leader among apes.
Tarzan is the archetype of the jungle man, a character that has since become a genre. But he is the first and best.
RP SAMPLE:
See, oh, lots of other characters.
[/font][/ul][/ul]
