After watching the film The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, I will discuss my analysis about how the pirates are based on American’s who are seeking solutions to the war on terror that could be considered outside of the law, but still be acceptable with American values. The pirates in the movie are seen as men who are lawless and are fighting against the civil world, but they’re actually just trying to achieve their own freedom and live a jolly life full of adventure and without rules. This movie came out in 2003 meaning that it was being written and filmed soon after 9/11 and the start of the war on terror and these aspects can be seen in underlying qualities throughout the movie. The plot of the movie revolves around …show more content…
The pirate code as it is called in the movie could be considered an analogy to U.S. Constitution for being rules that it’s citizens follow that make up the very being of what makes an American an American or what makes a pirate, a pirate. Becoming a pirate was basically the original American Dream, the idea of coming to America to free oneself and be given a chance to make a name for themselves as well, this is the same for pirates leaving British control and being able to live freely and claim fame for themselves. This is shown in the movie when they go to Tortuga and the town is in anarchy, yet everyone is happy to be free and even though it doesn’t look like it the town is still thriving. Pirates are just men who are looking for a better life beyond what they are living now without the constraints that the government put on them while they were citizens. Americans are the same way and that was how the United States came to be formed because the US didn’t not accept the control that Britain had, so they fought back to free themselves and develop a new country. The diversity of America could also be seen in the Captain Jack Sparrow’s crew, which included African-Americans, women, midgets, and a parrot. This also goes for any of the pirate crew presented in the movie, while the British soldiers are all Caucasian and almost all the citizens …show more content…
The pirates in the movie are a bit of a drastic overstatement, but they show the epitome of American values with their choice to live as free men looking to make a name for themselves. With the war on pirates being more of a background theme in the movie, it’s more relatable to how people keep living their lives in real life while the war on terror is happening on the other side of the world and is a topic that was at the back of everyone's minds. The Pirates of the Caribbean show how sometimes the law needs to be bent or broken in order to achieve what needs to be done to protect the rights and values of people whether in real life or in a fictional movie. The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Dir. Gore Verbinski. Perf. Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley. Walt Disney Pictures, 2003.
Cordingly’s book Under the Black Flag: The Romance and Reality of Life Among the Pirates tells the story of many different pirates of different time periods by the facts. The book uses evidence from first hand sources to combat the image of pirates produced by fictional books, plays, and films. Cordingly explains where the fictional ideas may have come from using the evidence from the past. The stories are retold while still keeping the interest of the audience without having to stray from the factual
Elements such as mermaids, the “Fountain of Youth”, and everlasting life are not realistic and are clearly added to the film for entertainment value. However, this film could be helpful in sparking an interest in the general public on the subject of pirates. The film includes actual pirates, like Edward Teach, that may spark an interest in a viewer enough to look into the character. This interest may not have been sparked through a historical documentary because it does not have the same entertainment value as Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The use of Hollywood films in understanding the history of pirates can be important in the visual representation of pirates. While reading about the history of pirates is the clear and scholarly way to gain information, it may be difficult for some students to create a visual of the people that were involved in piracy. Films allow for an instant visual to the people involved in the history that inspired the story. Reading can also be a useful way to teach the public factual history, empathy and emotion are much easier to obtain through film because the viewer is able to connect to the characters and find similarities between the content and their own lives. Through this ability for viewers to connect to the characters and themes in the film, it makes this film useful in understanding the history of
...rates to succeed in the open waters alone. Pirates also lost their justification when the Spanish accepted the independence of their former colonies in South and Central America so piracy all but vanished when the governors in Cuba and Puerto Rico stopped providing support. The Navy’s relentless fighting contributed to a great decrease in piracy within ten years which not only led to greater United States prosperity but that of all nations with commerce paths through that region.
The Renaissance was a time of great change in Europe beginning in the late middle ages. Philosophies and culture shifted, and so did rebellion. Many feared the seas, for thieves and murderous gangs filled it. Privateers or crews who received funding from royalty or other authorities to fight enemies were corrupt, but they were not the main cause for worry.(Paine) Pirates were the ones who were feared by many and adored by few. Pirates traveled the seas in search of fortune. They would often murder, kidnap and use any other violence necessary to get what their greedy hearts desired.(Paine)(Aldrete) Only the most desperate and greedy would dare to join the bands of rebels because it took specific traits to be a pirate.(Aldrete) To be a successful pirate during the Renaissance, one needed fighting skills, perseverance, and the demeanor to carry out difficult and cruel tasks.
Privateers, or “legally licensed pirates” (Boorstin 62), were men who received written permission from their mother country to raid and capture enemy ships in times of war. They owed no loyalty to anyone except the country they served and for about four hundred years, actions like those of the privateers have shaped history as we know it. They are a perfect example of the politics during the time period and were ultimately loyal subjects to their country.
The 1700’s were a time for the pirates. All over the world, these thieves of the seven seas robbed cargo ships. Some of the major countries of the world often used their military to fight these pirates. Many pirates of this time earned reputations for being quite successful. It was Edward “Blackbeard” Teach who became one of the most successful pirates of all.
Since around the 19th century piracy has declined from great tales of grandeur and adventure, Instead turning to small dingys of african pirates holding up cargo ships in trade routes. In conclusion, although the golden age of piracy has come to an end, the legendary stories of famous, ruthless, and cunning pirates still live on in movies and books reminding us of times where you couldnt go out for a swim without being kidnapped or strung up to the yardarm of a ship!
Did you ever think that some pirates fought for their country? Contrary to what some might believe, Elizabethan pirates, or privateers, fought for Queen Elizabeth of England. Also, for various reasons they were called sea dogs and buccaneers. The privateers were actually encouraged by the government to pillage their enemies. Elizabethan privateers were enlisted and licensed by the government, were unified in their cause, focused more on capturing than destroying enemy ships, and were made famous through their victories.
During the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries, piracy was rampant in the Atlantic, specifically in the West Indies. Piracy has existed since the earliest days of ocean travel, for a range of personal and economic reasons. However, one of the major reasons why piracy was wide spread and rampant in the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries was Great Britain’s endorsement and usage of piracy as an asset; in wars fought in the New World. Great Britain with its expanding power and conflicts with other nations would make piracy a lifestyle and lay down the foundation for the Golden Age of Piracy and eventually bring what it created to a screeching halt.
Pirate ships were mostly run democratically. The crew would usually discuss where they wanted to sail and who they wanted to attack (Krysteck, Lee). On each pirate ship they had rules of conduct for the crew. These were call the Articles of Agreement, which was also known as the pirate code. If a member of the crew broke the pirate code, they were often punished without any remorse (“Famous Pirates and the Golden Age of Piracy”). As pirates grew in numbers they started to seek out places called safe havens. Places like these allowed pirates to rest, stockpile on food, gather supplies, and repair their ships without the threat of the nations (“Life Aboard Ship in the Golden Age of Piracy”). Some famous safe havens were Tortuga, Port Royal, New Providence, and Madagascar (“The Pirate Round”). As attacks became more frequent, Jamaica gave strict orders to break up the buccaneers and exterminate their operations (“Buccaneering Era”). Being driven away from their safe havens, the buccaneers spread themselves out. This caused them to become more vicious and crueler than they had ever been before (Famous Pirates and the Golden Age of Piracy”). The privateers got bored of peacetime and that would bring on the start of the Pirate Round (“Buccaneering
The history of piracy dates back more than 3000 years. “It appears that the word pirate (peirato) was first used in about 140 BC by the Roman historian Polybius. The Greek historian Plutarch, writing in about 100 A.D., gave the oldest clear definition of piracy. He described pirates as those who attack without legal authority not only ships, but also maritime cities (http://www.piratesinfo.com/history/history.php).” The most common meaning of the word pirate recognizes them as an outlaw and a thief. Anyone who was caught and tried with the act of piracy would be sentenced to death.
The Golden Age of Piracy began around 1650, and ended around 1730. Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea, but can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the criminal. The term has been used throughout history to refer to raids across land borders by non-state agents. A pirate is one who commits robberies at sea, usually without being allotted to do so by any particular nation. The usual crime for piracy can include being hung, or publically executed. Some of the most famous pirates who were killed either because of piracy, or because of natural causes, are Barbarossa, Stede Bonnet, Anne Bonney, Sir Francis Drake, Captain Greaves, William Kidd, Jean Laffite, Sir Henry Morgan, Mary Read, and Giovanni da Verrazano.
Although Britain cannot be blamed though for lack of trying, piracy still exists today. Yet, because the act continues at sea often far from land, it gains little media attention, and therefore less action from governments. China, despite being a number one producer of pirates, continues to deny that there is a problem while at the same time often pardoning those who are caught. Countries such as Indonesia and Philippines, which have been hardest hit in the past few years by pirates, are looking for international assistance. The West is, of course, looked to for solutions yet choose seemingly chooses to turn a blind eye, perhaps in the name of diplomacy. When the world is ready to combat the perpetual problem of piracy, it may discover that by intertwining tougher policies aimed at dealing with piracy with current or future trade negotiations, productive steps can be taken to initiate plans to curtail modern day sea wolves who prey on the helpless. The suggestion of ‘Piracy Charters’ will be discussed further as the means of which to add the topic of to multilateral agreements.
...viewer recognizes that agencies, such as the CIA, are valuable in the War on Terror for the data collecting they’re involved in. On examining of the film, the movie’s setting, agencies involved, and the subject matter targeted, the appropriate historical and social themes were connected to the plot. The circumstances in the film depicting the aftermath of September 11th attacks and the U.S. government’s role in tracking Osama Bin Laden were realistic. After the 9/11 attacks, Americans felt that radicalized Islamic groups and their leaders that encouraged these followers to attack America were enemies to their country. Therefore, the film didn’t have to have a poster of Al-Qaeda or Osama Bin Laden to be used as propaganda to make the point that the radicalized Islamic group was the enemy of the United States; this decision had already been made by the United States.
Pirates have a natural love for treasure and wealth. They often loose what little morals they possess in exchange for any opportunity to achieve any type of wealth. Pirates at this time are looked at as the scum of the earth (Jacobs Henry). This is shown by the depiction of the dead pirates hanging with a sign that says, “Pirates ye be warned” (Pirates of the Caribbean). Jack had a rough upbringing from early on. It is in these pivotal years that we develop many of our natural tendencies and social behaviors that we carry with us for the rest of our lives. If someone has a hard or troubled upbringing with little stability, then they are often predisposed to certain mental disorders. For example, Jack Sparrow started his life onboard a ship at sea during a typhoon. In no way, shape, or form is coming into the world in such conditions nurturing to the individual. Furthermore, his father Captai...