# Tarzan Becomes a Beast Again explained — Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar

> Chapter companion for Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

## What happens

Werper abandons his plan to murder Tarzan, fleeing with the stolen jewels as a lion approaches. Tarzan awakens fully alert, drives off the lion, and discovers Werper's desertion. He reverts to a primitive state, observing the Waziri from a tree with vague familiarity. He hunts, kills a zebra, and later faces a pride of lions before a charging rhinoceros intervenes, leading to a battle in which Tarzan spears Buto. The episode ends with Tarzan feeding, drinking, and resting contentedly in the jungle, having fully shed his civilized identity.

## Themes in this chapter

### Survival and Adaptation

Tarzan fully embraces his primal instincts, hunting, fighting lions and a rhinoceros, and living entirely in the moment without concern for his former life.

### Identity and Duality

The chapter marks Tarzan's complete reversion to the ape-man, with Lord Greystoke ceasing to exist as he loses connection to his civilized past.

### Greed and Betrayal

Werper's cowardly desertion and theft of the jewels highlight his greed and betrayal of Tarzan's trust.

## Character check-ins

### Tarzan

Awakens from a deep sleep to find Werper gone; reverts to a purely primitive state, hunting and fighting as an ape-man.

### Albert Werper

Stands over Tarzan with a knife but fears to strike; flees with the jewels when a lion approaches.

### Basuli

Seen in the distance preparing a morning meal with his warriors; Tarzan observes him with vague recognition.

### Numa

A lion approaches Tarzan while he sleeps, but retreats when Tarzan rises; later Tarzan encounters a pride of seven lions.

### Buto

Charges Tarzan from behind during the standoff with the lions; is speared by Tarzan and later dies from the wound.

## Key lines

> For a moment Werper had stood above the sleeping ape-man, his murderous knife poised for the fatal thrust; but fear stayed his hand.

Werper hesitated to kill Tarzan because he was afraid the blow might not be instantly fatal.

_Werper's fear prevents murder._

> Again was he Tarzan of the Apes, sentient, vigilant, ready.

Tarzan instantly became fully alert and prepared for action.

_Tarzan's primal instincts return._

> Lord Greystoke had ceased to exist.

Tarzan had completely abandoned his civilized identity.

_Tarzan's reversion to the ape-man is complete._

> It was the man-made weapon which killed the great beast that might easily have survived the assault of seven mighty lions.

Tarzan's spear, not the lions, was what ultimately killed the rhinoceros.

_Human ingenuity triumphs over raw nature._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tarzan_and_the_jewels_of_opar_se/chapters/xi-tarzan-becomes-a-beast-again
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tarzan_and_the_jewels_of_opar_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tarzan_and_the_jewels_of_opar_se/chapters