Herman Toothrot
From MIwiki
Herman Toothrot (real name: Horatio Torquemeda Marley a.k.a. Captain Marley or Grandpa Marley) is a recurring character in the Monkey Island series. He is the hermit of Monkey Island, however his tale of how he came to be on the island has been revised at least once. Herman makes appearances in all four games, though his appearance in the third is more of a cameo (in the form of an electronic puppet on the Rollercoaster of Death).
In the fourth game he is revealed to be the grandfather of Elaine Marley. This plot-twist was accompanied by a large retcon of the character's previous history which is at odds with previously established canon. His character was initially based on Ben Gunn from Treasure Island.
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Original history (pre-MI4)
In the first game it is mentioned that Herman set sail on the Sea Monkey to find the legendary Secret of Monkey Island. The instructions that he and his single fellow crew-member bought turned out to be a Voodoo recipe. From a journal uncovered by Guybrush on board the Sea Monkey it can be gathered that Herman's partner (who is never named) didn't care much for Herman (and his apparent lack of personal hygiene). When Herman cooked the voodoo recipe as a peace gesture the two passed out and woke up to find themselves off the coast of Monkey Island (as the player does in the game).
While on the island Herman's partner accidentally hangs himself while setting up a swing and Herman is forced to train a crew of monkeys to sail back to Mêlée Island to seek help. To his great disappointment the monkeys never return, however it is this ship which Guybrush ultimately sails to Monkey Island.
Revised history (MI4)
Herman Toothrot was originally Horatio Torquemata Marley. Some 20 years before the events of the games Marley raced LeChuck to Dinky Island in the search of Big Whoop. Despite LeChuck being shipwrecked and having to go through many troubles to get a new ship he still manages to reach Big Whoop before Marley and is turned into a ghost as a consequence. Realizing the danger, Marley splits the map between his three trusted crewmembers Rum Rogers Sr., Young Lindy the Cabinboy and Rapp Scallion the Cook.
Marley travels to Australia where he partakes in the America's Cup sailing contest. It is here that he meets Ozzie Mandrill. Having had way too many drinks he tells Ozzie of the lucrative business opportunities of the Carribbean. During the next day's race Ozzie rams Marley's boat into a whirlpool hoping to kill him. Instead, Marley winds up on the other side of the world and wakes up on the shores of Monkey Island. He loses his memory in the process and takes the name Herman Toothrot from his initials (H.T.) scribbled on an old accordion.
Role in games
In the first game he is introduced as a creepy old hermit who for reasons unknown prefers not to wear pants. He also appears unnecessarily cheery despite his nasty predicament. If the player sinks the Sea Monkey during the game Herman reveals he has a boat that the two use to sail away. It is revealed in the game that Herman trained a crew of monkeys to sail back to Mêlée to seek for help but didn't go along as he didn't fancy the idea of spending months on a boat full of monkeys. He also refuses to use his own boat to escape Monkey Island since apparently "according to the rules" when one gets stranded one has to be rescued.
In the second game Herman appears on Dinky Island as a teacher of philosophy and asks Guybrush a philosophical question that the player may try to answer. He does not play a significant role in this second appearance. His presence on Dinky is explained by the undreground tunnels which travel between Dinky and Monkey Islands.
In the third game he is absent, but a mechanical puppet of his (and his partner's) likeness can be found on the Rollercoaster of Death.
In the fourth game Guybrush finds himself once more on Monkey Island. Herman is suffering from amnesia, but stage by stage the player has to help him regain his memory. During the time between the third and fourth games the volcano on Monkey erupted, splitting the island in half with a flow of lava but also revealing a system of caves where Herman began to prospect for gold. When finally hit over the head with an accordion he regains all of his lost memory and reveals his true identity as Guybrush's grandfather-in-law. He also plays a significant role, giving Guybrush the Gubenetorial Seal of Mêlée Island which is used to power an incredibly potent Ultimate Insult, made using the Giant Monkey Head which turns out to be the control centre for a Giant Monkey Robot.
Together Marley, Jojo Jr. and Guybrush travel back to Mêlée for a final confrontation between LeChuck and Ozzie. Afterwards Marley resumes his role as governor, which was apparently the reason he left for Australia in the first place.
Plot inconsistencies
Up till the fourth game Herman and Captain Marley were considered separate characters. The retcons introduced by the fourth game cause a number of inconsistencies...
- Marley's previous history was introduced in the second game and elaborated on in the third.
- The third game also treats Herman and Marley as separate characters as seen on the Carnival ride.
- The fourth game revamps seem to eliminate Herman's previously established history entirely, including all connections to his former ship-mate.
- Though Marley and LeChuck's rivalry and race for Big Whoop was also mentioned in the third game, the events were believed to have been set much closer to the current events of the game and not 20 years in the past like in the fourth. This is evidenced when LeChuck describes the killings of Marley and his crewmen. This necessitated a change in the story of Marley's death (changed to an assumed death by dissappearance).
- In the third game LeChuck said he pushed Marley into the whirlpool, but due to plot retcons elsewhere (changing the setting 20 years in the past) this necessitated that Ozzie was the real culprit. In the third game LeChuck said his ultimatum for allowing Marley live was to promise his grand-daughter's hand in marriage.
While these changes alter the established history of the series significantly all of Herman's in-game activities (helping Guybrush escape from Monkey Island and teaching philosophy on Dinky) are mentioned and still considered canon in the fourth game.
As an author
Between the first two games Herman wrote a book, A Million and One Ways to Play Solitaire, that can be found at the Phatt City Library in Monkey Island 2.
Game appearances
- The Secret of Monkey Island
- Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge
- The Curse of Monkey Island
- Escape from Monkey Island
