Old Deuteronomy is an ancient cat, very large and shaggy. His coat has tones of dull browns and greys, and he has a wide smile and long whiskers. He has a great big booming voice, and sometimes likes to dance a little. His coat is thick, and his tongue is red.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Old Deuteronomy has much power over all the Jellicle cats. His presence is so strong that all the cats can sense him from far away, and his charisma can wake them up while they are sleeping. He is the only one who can choose which Jellicle goes up to the Heaviside Layer, and his decision is always final and cannot be debated. With a motion of his hands, all the cats stop dancing and be quiet if he wants to say something, and they all obey his every command. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Old Deuteronomy is loved by the whole tribe because he is kind, and he cares for each individual cat. He respects all of them, even outcasts like Grizabella, and he lets her sing her tragic song so all the Jellicles could see that she deserved a second chance. When he arrives at the junkyard, he greets and embraces all the cats, and they are all joyful to see him. He lets them know that they can begin to dance, and they thank him for that. When Munkustrap prepares a play for him, he listens to it and offers praise and recognition to the different actors. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Old Deuteronomy knows many things about how the world is, and how it used to be. He is wise beyond measure. Munkustrap explains that he was famous in proverb and rhyme, and that he has contributed to the culture of cats for centuries. He understands how the Jellicles think, and puts Jemima into a trance to explain to them about the meaning of happiness, in more graspable words. He knows so much about happiness, that the other Jellicles can only touch on, and he tries his best to explain what life is all about. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Old Deuteronomy is authoritative, thoughtful and judicious, and he knows much about other worlds. He knows his place in the world and is quite detached, and he loves to tell stories and fables. He is courteous to all the tribe, he listens well and speaks well, and sometimes seems as if he is in another world, but he watches his tribes comings-and-goings with much pride and love for them, because they are very important to him.