Clayton

Initially, Clayton appears to be a chivalrous gentleman, albeit with a fragile temper and intolerance for treating the African expedition as a vacation experience rather than a business endeavor, as the Porters are often sidetracked by sights and wildlife other than the gorillas. He has also shown a hint of hatred toward animals and ignorance in terms of understanding them, believing gorillas to be savage beasts in spite of Professor Porter's hypothesis that gorillas are generally social creatures. This also ties to Clayton's slight paranoia of the jungle, as he is shown to be overly protective of himself, as well as trigger-happy, blasting his rifle the second he suspects that an animal, other than a gorilla, may be nearby.

As time goes on throughout the film, Clayton's patience with the Porters wanes thin and with it, his true nature begins to unfold; one that is vicious, abusive, and conniving. By the time the climax comes forth, he is revealed to be a sinister individual who is planning to make wealth from selling gorillas. He also never shows any signs of cowardice; when he is cornered with his own shotgun, he is far from begging for his life and even mocks Tarzan to pull the trigger.

According to the audio commentary of the Tarzan DVD, Clayton's actions during his final moments in the film were meant to mirror the film's initial antagonist Sabor, thus symbolizing Clayton's increasing lack of humanity and descent into animalistic madness.