In the second film, he flirts with Pocahontas at the ball and mocks John Smith's death in a sarcastic voice. Ratcliffe is sarcastic, as shown when he 'praises' John Smith for saving Thomas, which implies he actually does not care whether Thomas had drowned or not. He does get flustered at times, but is easily calmed. For example, when John Smith tells him there is no gold in Virginia, Ratcliffe, rather than lose his temper, insists in a stubborn voice that it's a 'lie' and will hang anyone who refuses to shoot a Native American. Ratcliffe is often calm and collected during the two films. The men, however, are not discouraged by this threat, and Thomas, who takes control, further orders the men, "And gag him as well." He also believes himself to be powerful as he threatens his men that he will have them executed when they turn on him at the end of the film. He believes what he does to be in the name of the crown and even goes as far to call John Smith a liar, sees the land he found as his own, believes what Pocahontas told Smith to be lies and even calls his own men traitors at the end when they turn against him and take him prisoner for high treason (after he inadvertently shot Smith while trying to shoot Powhatan). This is continued in the second film, as shown when Ratcliffe manages to manipulate King James multiple times and, as he is about to set sail with his armada, he riles up his troops' excitement as they prepare to "scour the world of the savage vermin".Īnother thing that distances Ratcliffe from most Disney villains, and similar to Judge Claude Frollo, is that he actually believes that he is a good person and refuses to find fault in himself. Despite his self-confessed lack of popularity, Ratcliffe seems quite charismatic and manages to command the respect of his troops up until the climax of the film. Ratcliffe's lack of self-esteem stands in contrast to the egomania of most Disney villains, such as Gaston, making him somewhat unique. His mission to colonize the Americas is his last chance to make a name for himself. In addition to the fact that his peers at King James' court consider him a "pathetic social climber", this appears to be intended to make him a mildly sympathetic character in spite of his villainous nature. While he exudes great confidence and gives the impression of being rather vain, but despite his ego, Ratcliffe in fact seems to take a rather dim view of himself, admitting in a sad voice that he has never been a popular man. He is also highly xenophobic, ruthless, cruel, heartless, insulting, manipulative, and incredibly racist. Like most Disney villains, Ratcliffe is very power-hungry, pompous, and unbelievably greedy, as evidenced by his insatiable craving for gold, which would make him a very wealthy man.
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