Gore
Verbinski’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The
Curse of the Black Pearl is the first instalment to the series of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean movies. In this
film, it is quite difficult to determine each and every archetype and apply
them to individual characters without consideration. This is because of the
diverse characters on screen, as well as the fact that one of the main
characters can easily be regarded as multiple archetypes at once, due to their
complexity and distinctive personality.
To begin, William Turner (Orlando Bloom) is the well skilled blacksmith, who steps up to become a pirate with the intent of saving his lover, Elizabeth Swan. (Keira Knightly) He’s a man with morals and respect, while also possessing the traits to be courageous and adventurous. It’s clear to see that he beholds the archetype of the hero, but strangely in this film, he isn’t quite the top main character. This is different as even though he is most definitely one of the main characters, traditionally the main character seems to also be the hero.
The main character is Captain Jack Sparrow. (Johnny Depp) A selfish and mischievous pirate, who refrains from obeying the law. Considering he’s a character with a lot of negative traits that could easily mould him into a great villain, it’s interesting to watch as his character saves others and steps up to fight evil and prevent it from plaguing the seas. Jack is an anti-hero, due to his lawless methods and flawed personally, while ultimately doing good along the way. So really there are two heroes in the story, Jack and Will, but they both learn from one another which essentially allows them to be the hero that they’re meant to be.
Elizabeth Swan is the Damsel in distress, and the reason that Will Turner must leave his ordinary world and venture into the unknown. But while she is the damsel in distress, she is also unpredictable in terms of this archetype, as she is fierce and brave. As daughter of the Governor, at first glance she could be mistaken for a woman who has never needed to face tremendous danger or struggle, therefore might react dramatically to the events that unfold, with the common perception that she is predominately overly feminine and inexperienced when it comes to unfamiliar challenges like this. She is kidnapped by a deadly crew of undead pirates, yet there are moments where she holds her own and shows how capable she is of taking control of situations. Considering it is also set in a time and place full of pirates that reek with masculinity, as well as a time long before first-wave Feminism began, it is surprising that her seemingly delicate character manages to survive and prevail, without having to mentally or emotionally break. Regardless, this makes her character significantly more exciting and creates a deeper element in her personality, while also adding to the story.
Jack Sparrow has a whole crew of helpers, but his most recognisable sidekick is his First Mate, Gibbs. (Kevin McNally) He is a loyal comrade to Jack who helps by navigating the sea alongside him, also being a highly trusted companion. Despite not being as brave, or as sober as his Captain, Gibbs is still a reliable helper on the adventure who also makes the film more entertaining and even humorous at times.
Jack’s nemesis in the film, Captain Barbossa, (Geoffrey Rush) who also holds Elizabeth hostage, can be considered not only the shadow archetype, but also the shapeshifter. For instance, he and his vicious crew literally shapeshift into skeletons when exposed to the moonlight, making them untouchable and quite frankly, terrifying to anybody. Also he is a pirate, a Captain to a murderous crew, making him one to be very cautious of, and not one to easily be trusted. In terms of the shadow archetype, he is the most evil threat in the story. He represents everything hellish and is merciless when it comes to getting what he wants. Comparing him to Captain Jack, they can also be considered similar to one another as neither of them are good people. Barbossa can easily be perceived as the shadow, being a reflection of Jack and a representation of everything that Jack could become if he is consistent in following the wrong paths.
Heading back to mentioning of a character holding responsibility for multiple archetypes, Jack Sparrow can also represent others as well as the anti-hero. For one, he is a mentor in this film to William Turner, teaching him how to become a pirate to later progress and save Elizabeth. Not only this, but at the point we meet Jack’s character in the film, he already has a lot of knowledge and swagger that he owns. He never really seems to be learning from others, instead he is the one to share knowledge and savvy lessons to others. He could also in some cases, be referred to as the child archetype, as when in serious situations he is ignorant and immature, almost portraying a child through his actions and attitude. Obviously he is far from being a child, but out of all the important characters that clash among the journey, he definitely stands out as being the most youthful and silly when they all must act their age. His character is also the trickster archetype, as he numerously fools others that trusted him, just so that he can get away or benefit from it. He is very much like a jester with his outlook on surroundings that he doesn’t take too seriously, while he possesses a comedic trait. Even though he is technically a hero, he undeniably is a trickster as a result of his personal traits and choices.
To begin, William Turner (Orlando Bloom) is the well skilled blacksmith, who steps up to become a pirate with the intent of saving his lover, Elizabeth Swan. (Keira Knightly) He’s a man with morals and respect, while also possessing the traits to be courageous and adventurous. It’s clear to see that he beholds the archetype of the hero, but strangely in this film, he isn’t quite the top main character. This is different as even though he is most definitely one of the main characters, traditionally the main character seems to also be the hero.
The main character is Captain Jack Sparrow. (Johnny Depp) A selfish and mischievous pirate, who refrains from obeying the law. Considering he’s a character with a lot of negative traits that could easily mould him into a great villain, it’s interesting to watch as his character saves others and steps up to fight evil and prevent it from plaguing the seas. Jack is an anti-hero, due to his lawless methods and flawed personally, while ultimately doing good along the way. So really there are two heroes in the story, Jack and Will, but they both learn from one another which essentially allows them to be the hero that they’re meant to be.
Elizabeth Swan is the Damsel in distress, and the reason that Will Turner must leave his ordinary world and venture into the unknown. But while she is the damsel in distress, she is also unpredictable in terms of this archetype, as she is fierce and brave. As daughter of the Governor, at first glance she could be mistaken for a woman who has never needed to face tremendous danger or struggle, therefore might react dramatically to the events that unfold, with the common perception that she is predominately overly feminine and inexperienced when it comes to unfamiliar challenges like this. She is kidnapped by a deadly crew of undead pirates, yet there are moments where she holds her own and shows how capable she is of taking control of situations. Considering it is also set in a time and place full of pirates that reek with masculinity, as well as a time long before first-wave Feminism began, it is surprising that her seemingly delicate character manages to survive and prevail, without having to mentally or emotionally break. Regardless, this makes her character significantly more exciting and creates a deeper element in her personality, while also adding to the story.
Jack Sparrow has a whole crew of helpers, but his most recognisable sidekick is his First Mate, Gibbs. (Kevin McNally) He is a loyal comrade to Jack who helps by navigating the sea alongside him, also being a highly trusted companion. Despite not being as brave, or as sober as his Captain, Gibbs is still a reliable helper on the adventure who also makes the film more entertaining and even humorous at times.
Jack’s nemesis in the film, Captain Barbossa, (Geoffrey Rush) who also holds Elizabeth hostage, can be considered not only the shadow archetype, but also the shapeshifter. For instance, he and his vicious crew literally shapeshift into skeletons when exposed to the moonlight, making them untouchable and quite frankly, terrifying to anybody. Also he is a pirate, a Captain to a murderous crew, making him one to be very cautious of, and not one to easily be trusted. In terms of the shadow archetype, he is the most evil threat in the story. He represents everything hellish and is merciless when it comes to getting what he wants. Comparing him to Captain Jack, they can also be considered similar to one another as neither of them are good people. Barbossa can easily be perceived as the shadow, being a reflection of Jack and a representation of everything that Jack could become if he is consistent in following the wrong paths.
Heading back to mentioning of a character holding responsibility for multiple archetypes, Jack Sparrow can also represent others as well as the anti-hero. For one, he is a mentor in this film to William Turner, teaching him how to become a pirate to later progress and save Elizabeth. Not only this, but at the point we meet Jack’s character in the film, he already has a lot of knowledge and swagger that he owns. He never really seems to be learning from others, instead he is the one to share knowledge and savvy lessons to others. He could also in some cases, be referred to as the child archetype, as when in serious situations he is ignorant and immature, almost portraying a child through his actions and attitude. Obviously he is far from being a child, but out of all the important characters that clash among the journey, he definitely stands out as being the most youthful and silly when they all must act their age. His character is also the trickster archetype, as he numerously fools others that trusted him, just so that he can get away or benefit from it. He is very much like a jester with his outlook on surroundings that he doesn’t take too seriously, while he possesses a comedic trait. Even though he is technically a hero, he undeniably is a trickster as a result of his personal traits and choices.
Comments
Post a Comment