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Captain Jack Sparrow Character Analysis   Creators:       Screenstory: Ted Elliott                          Terry Rossio                          Stuart Beattie                          Jay Wolpert       Screenplay: Ted Elliott                         Terry Rossio Actor: Johnny Depp Analysis: Ms. Katherine Judd (Aka R.A. Brianna)

I've always loved complex characters and enjoy writing analysis of them. But rarely do I find anger to be the motivation behind the analysis. I have seen Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, sixty-four times in the theaters, and I've read every review I could find, both on and offline. I must be the only viewer in the world who saw more in Jack Sparrow than a comedic, scene-stealing rogue-pirate. He is much more and does not deserve the appellations of foolish, fey, foppish, inept, and sun-baked. If you will, allow me to take you on a Jack Sparrow character journey.

To do this analysis and provide examples on each aspect of characterization, it would be best to start at the beginning of the movie. The first sighting of Captain Jack Sparrow has him standing at the location of what should be the crow's nest of a sailing ship, rigged out in full pirate regalia, legs firm and steady on the spar, gazing thoughtfully toward Port Royal. First appearance may remind one of the Black Pirate or Mac the Knife; one is tempted to believe firmly in this stern, black pirate as a man not to be crossed. He glances down, grabs a rope lead, and drops to the deck…of a dinghy. Moreover, a dinghy that is rapidly taking on water. Here is a pirate without crew or friend. As he begins to bail water, he catches sight of three skeletal remains of pirates hung from a crossbeam between two rocks at the entrance to Port Royal Bay. Sweeping his hat off, he pays tribute to the fallen fellow pirates. Not expected, as he should have acknowledged the dead with either a stern look of hatred for the manner of death or simply ignored them as the fortunes (or misfortunes) of piracy. This is not the stereotypical pirate.

      His “docking” is a grandstand display of supreme confidence in his own ability to survive. As the dinghy nears the pier, it rapidly sinks, leaving Jack to step smoothly from the crow's spar to the pier. With an effete swagger, he begins walking along the pier as confidently as if he just berthed the QE2. Halted by the pier patrol, he stops and minces his way back. Told he must pay one shilling to tie up at the dock and give his name, Sparrow glances back to his sunken dinghy with a look of astonishment at being asked to pay; nevertheless, he pulls out three shillings and requests the port official “forget the name.” Here one can see the first aspect of Captain Jack Sparrow. Within one minute of speaking to the port official, Jack correctly identifies him as a man who can be easily bribed. As a pirate, Jack found his way into many ports and learned to recognize “kindred spirits.” Once the bribe has been accepted, Jack quickly walks away. He is not eager to draw attention to himself as a dangerous pirate, hence the foppish walk, the winks, and the generosity (though he does recoup his shillings by taking the port official's purse. After all, the port official would have placed the extra two shillings in his pocket, if not the entire three, so Jack apparently feels they are square). As he strolls along the docks of Port Royal, he keeps to the shadowy areas while he checks out the ships anchored in the bay. A cautious look over his shoulder proves he has learned to watch his own back, allowing one to believe that this instinct was born of long practice. One can see his mind planning his next move---his new transportation, the sleek, fast-moving Interceptor.

      He heads down to the docks…and immediately spots two British soldiers, lounging in the shade, whose duty it is to keep the docks clear of civilians. Since they seem bound and determined to take him for a civilian, Jack spouts a bit of fast-talking. Having heard the music coming from the fort, he attempts to compliment them by asking how “two fine upstanding gentlemen, such as yourselves, did not merit an invitation?” To hide his interest in the Interceptor, Jack points out the Dauntless, floating offshore as the more valuable ship. The officers confirm Jack's suspicion that the Interceptor is faster than the Dauntless, but Jack cannot resist teasing them by mentioning the Black Pearl as being the fastest ship in the Caribbean. His intent was to sidetrack the officials, and he succeeds, not due to his own sagacity but to the Laurel/Hardy performance of the soldiers. His thoughts stand written on his face. These people are morons! No wonder they are pulling dock-duty. This will be too easy. As the soldiers argue, Jack quickly and quietly slips onboard the Interceptor. When the soldiers realize where Jack has gone and rush onboard, they find him calmly examining the ship wheel and instruments. When the soldiers challenge Jack for his name, he blithely gives the name of Smith, “or Smithy, if you like.” Asked for his business and admonished to tell no lies, Jack decides to have fun with them and tell the absolute truth, saying, “I confess. It is my intention to commandeer one of these ships, pick up a crew out of Tortuga, and raid, pillage, and plunder, and otherwise pilfer my weasley black guts out.” The soldiers immediately start debating whether Jack is lying or telling the truth. Jack honestly and rather forthrightly tells them that he knew “they wouldn't believe the truth even if he told it to them,” another strong indicator that Jack is smarter than he lets on, for, once again, he pinpoints the mentality of these men and uses his quick wit to confuse and befuddle them.

     He proceeds to tell an outrageous story to the two men, which is interrupted by the splash of Elizabeth's fall from the fort wall overlooking the bay. After quickly ascertaining that neither of the officers is capable of rescuing the girl and despite the fact that he hoped to snag the Interceptor while they were occupied with said rescue, Jack, while stripping off coat, hat, and weaponry, takes command, insults the officers outright, then dives into the water. What pirate would have bothered? Clearly, there is no profit in it for Jack. He has lost his chance at the Interceptor, so why should he have worried whether the girl lived or drowned? Jack reveals his sense of honor. He cannot allow an innocent to suffer, regardless of the disruption/interruption of his plans. He rescues Elizabeth with daring and fortitude. He strips her dress from her to keep them both from drowning of its weight, then, once safely on the dock, cuts off her corset so she can begin breathing freely again. His reference to Singapore demonstrates, rather roguishly, his acquaintance with feminine garments of that country and displays his knowledge of other lands, opening to speculation what other countries Jack has visited.

     Up to this point, Jack only wants the Interceptor, but Elizabeth wears a medallion that catches his eye. He asks in a tone of wonder and determination, “Where did you get that?” He KNOWS what it is, and it may lead him to the Black Pearl. His mind is in a whirl. He knows he must discover this mystery, but the arrival of Commodore Norrington, Governor Swann, and a host of armed soldiers throws the first of several setbacks in Jack's plans to reacquire the Black Pearl.

     Jack hesitates when Norrington offers to shake hands in gratitude for his rescue of Elizabeth. In Norrington, Jack realizes that he just met a man of some intelligence and is loath to reveal any information about himself. But not to shake hands would prove that he had something to hide, so he extends his hand. Norrington seizes the hand, examines Jack's arm, and announces to all that this rescuer is none other than Jack Sparrow, the pirate, to which Jack replies by requesting his full identity be told, “Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please, sir.” Jack winces during the examination of his personal effects, fearing his charade is over and biting his tongue over the deprecations heaped on his reputation by Norrington. His one good deed “seems enough to condemn him.” Yet he is just waiting for the soldiers to move away from him. Jack throws his cuff chain around Elizabeth's neck and demands his effects. Holding his pistol to her head, he orders Elizabeth to attach his accoutrements. He clearly enjoys having a beautiful woman in his arms, and he smirks at the agitated Norrington. When all is in place, he tells Elizabeth, “I saved your life; you saved mine. We're square.” He has no intention of harming her, merely using her to affect some kind of escape.

     Now he shows off his supreme confidence in himself as he announces, “You'll remember this as the day you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow!” He must have escaped similar situations before to have this level of arrogance and confidence, the latest being his escape from the East India Company who branded him a pirate. Jack thinks quickly under stress as his escape from the dock displays, though he's not above showing a bit of honest fear at being fired upon while swinging around the loading boom. He reverts to the bumbling persona when he hits the dock and starts running, hoping still to convince people of his ineptitude.

     He knows he must find a safe place and remove the iron cuffs, so he ducks into a blacksmith's shop. Here he shows again the essential aspect of his character…do not maim or kill unnecessarily. Examining the snoring blacksmith and determining no threat, he proceeds with the business of removing the irons. Hampered by the cuffs, which prevent him from hammering them off, he quickly resorts to breaking them in the turning cogwheel of the forge. His movements are quick and jerky, indicating his agitation by the passage of time, knowing the soldiers are looking for him.

     Another setback occurs when Will Turner enters the shop. One can almost hear Jack curse silently to himself. At first, he threatens Will in a mild tone, convinced that Will must back away. Not so, as Will defies Jack and grabs a sword. Not averse to fighting but focused on escape, Jack maneuvers Will away from the door by patronizing Will's fighting techniques. But Will proves a noble and surprising adversary, and Jack is forced to fight. Realizing the clash of swords in the shop will bring the soldiers running, Jack draws his pistol on Will. To Will's comment of “You cheated,” Jack replies with the obvious answer, “Pirate,” indicating in a single word the reputation of pirates to ignore rules and authority (as well as to make Will look foolish, as in “Well, DUH!”) Jack has admiration for Will's proficiency with a sword but thinks him too easily swayed to conformity.

     Still, Jack loathes killing without reason and tries to plead with Will to “Please move!” Will stands firm, and the soldiers begin beating down the door. Jack tries one last time to convince Will to move by cocking his pistol and saying, “This shot is not meant for you.” Unfortunately, Jack has forgotten the older blacksmith, who breaks an ale bottle over Jack's head. As he falls, one can see the pain of the blow and another silent curse.

     Jack has been captured and put in prison to await his hanging at dawn. Yet, to all appearances, Jack seems at ease and taking some much needed rest in the cell. Other prisoners attempting to lure a dog, which has the jail key in its mouth, to their cell seems only to annoy him slightly while also providing amusement. When the sound of cannon fire erupts, Jack is instantly alert. “I know those guns.” Confirming his suspicions, Jack gazes intently down on the bay. “It's the Pearl.” There is longing in his voice, as if he sees a long-lost lover. True to his run of bad luck, the only cannon blast to hit the prison opens the cell adjacent to Jack, allowing the other prisoners to escape and leaving Jack to continue staring at the Black Pearl. Once alone, he grabs an old bone and tries to lure the dog himself, but a sudden opening of the prison door scares the dog, which runs away. Two pirates from the Pearl enter and see Jack in the cell. Jack maintains his calm, though one can see the anger in his eyes and stance, as the pirates taunt him with their takeover of his ship. Jack makes several connections here: 1) Elizabeth's medallion is part of a treasure Jack once sought to find. 2) The Black Pearl attacks Port Royal the very night after Jack discovers the medallion. 3) Therefore, the mates of the Black Pearl are after the medallion and its owner.

     Only one or two things remain to confirm Jack's suspicions. He taunts the pirates in return, “Worry about your own fortunes, gentlemen. The lowest portion of Hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers.” This is a clear indication of the dichotomy that is Jack Sparrow. During this time period, Dante's Divine Comedy was being widely read throughout Europe, and wealthy newcomers to America would have included this work in their libraries. The appeal of the literary work lay in the fact that Dante, for the first time, wrote a major work in the common tongue of ordinary people, making it easily understood by the general populace. Has Jack read Divine Comedy? There is no question that Jack Sparrow is an educated man with a large vocabulary, much larger than the ordinary pirate. That, plus his precise manner of speech, however slurred, confirms Jack knows a great deal more than most people believe. One suspicion is confirmed when one of the pirates grabs for Jack's throat. In the moonlight, the pirate's arm is skeletal, causing Jack to expound, “So there is a curse. That's interesting!” He has heard of the curse, but he has not seen his mutinous crew in ten years. Now he makes the connection between the Black Pearl's attack and Elizabeth's medallion. Following this confirmation, one might assume he settled down for a nap in his cell, knowing that “the key's run off” and he can do nothing else at the moment. Yet, Jack spends at least part of the night filing down the old bone into a pick.

     The following morning, when no one arrives to take Jack to his execution, he begins trying to pick the lock with the bone. He becomes agitated again, “Come on! Please!” as he tenderly maneuvers the bone in the lock. A loud noise makes him dive away from the door back into the cell, reclining quickly on the floor and assuming a lazy appearance. Will appears and demands information on the Black Pearl and its location. Jack plays with him, telling some of the story but nothing really pertinent. He, in true pirate fashion, tells Will there's no profit for him to help Will. Will offers to free Jack from prison, which intrigues Jack enough to ask for Will's name. Upon learning it, Jack makes the connection very quickly, proving two things: 1) he knows that Bootstrap Bill Turner had a son and 2) the son, Will, not Elizabeth, is the key to regaining his ship. He agrees to lead Will to “the Black Pearl and your bonny lass.” But he has no intention of revealing his knowledge of the curse or his plans for Will.

     Jack determines to commandeer the Interceptor, and he secures Will's complete cooperation by goading him with “This girl…How far are you willing to go to save her?” He takes Will on an underwater walk, using an overturned canoe to provide an air pocket. Will pronounces this maneuver either “brilliance or madness.” Jack's answer has a tone of world-weary knowledge, “It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide.” Against all odds (or perhaps because the British sailors do fear Jack a bit for his eccentric behavior), Jack and Will climb aboard the Dauntless, dispense with the crew, and together manage to get the ship moving toward open water. One must assume Jack has told this portion of the plan to Will, for it is Will who spies the Interceptor preparing to give chase, Norrington at the helm. Jack allows the crew of the Interceptor to tack alongside the Dauntless and come aboard, then he and Will quickly swing over to the Interceptor, Jack cuts the boarding lines, and they make sail for the open sea. Jack again cannot help taunting Norrington with “Thank-you, Commodore, for getting us ready to make way. We'd have had a hard time of it by ourselves!” This maneuver inspires one official to proclaim Jack to be “the best pirate I've ever seen,” a comment that Jack would have preened over, had he heard it.

     Onboard the Interceptor, Will corners Jack into confessing to knowing William Turner, to which Jack reveals not only that he “was one of the few who knew him as William Turner,” but also Williams pirate name of “Bootstrap or Bootstrap Bill.” Will challenges Jack over the knowledge that William Turner was a pirate. If a bit roughly (catching Will off guard and suspending him over the open sea with only the boom line to hang on to), Jack tries to teach Will an important lesson, a lesson dealing with choices. “The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do. For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man, or you can't. But pirate is in your blood, boy, and you'll have to square with that someday. Now me, for example, I can let you drown. But I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by me onesies, savvy? So, can you sail under the command of a pirate or can you not?” Jack has obviously had to make many such choices and knows the importance of priorities. Choices or no, Jack waxes a bit philosophical here…reminiscent of Singapore maybe?

     On to Tortuga. Jack is familiar with and in Tortuga. If he does have a home off-decks, perhaps it would be Tortuga. He rhapsodizes the filthy and rambunctious port as a paradise saying, “It is indeed a sad lot that has never breathed the sweet proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga!” One notices tantalizing glimpses and innuendos of Jack's past. Two different women slap Jack rather harshly, supposedly for past wrongs, long absences, or broken promises. Jack appears the consummate rogue where the ladies are concerned. Apparently, one encounter with Captain Jack Sparrow is more than enough. Jack mourns or longs for no woman. Yet he loves Tortuga for all it has to offer the freewheeling pirate. But…down to business.

     Jack locates Mr. Gibbs, who lies sleeping in a pigpen. Gibbs, awakened by a bucket of water flung by Jack, is obviously overjoyed to see Jack again and is willing to listen to Jack's plans. Setting Will as lookout (both to keep Will occupied and to keep him ignorant of Jack's plans), Jack confides his knowledge and asks Gibbs to get a crew for the Interceptor. Obviously, Jack and Gibbs are old friends, and Jack trusts him to be loyal and true. (Maybe a bit off topic here, but one must wonder why Jack knew he could find Joshamee Gibbs on Tortuga. Locating him in the pigsty would be simply a matter of inquiry with the barkeep. Gibbs was a sailor onboard the Dauntless eight years previously. Gibbs' jubilance over Jack's reappearance could only mean the two have had no contact in eight years. If Gibbs is truly the one person Jack now trusts fully, one must also assume Jack kept tabs on his old friend.)

     Gibbs finds a crew by morning, including another young woman with whom Jack has a history. He stole Anamaria's boat, the Jolly Mon, and, supposedly, this is the boat that sank its way into Port Royal's bay. Jack's sense of honor rears its head again, though he skirts the issue of theft via the use of semantics, telling Anamaria he “Borrowed…borrowed without asking, but with every intention on bringing it back!” Jack wins his ragtag crew by promising Anamaria the Interceptor will be hers. Jack is in his element and has all he requires to begin his pursuit of the Black Pearl. He sails through the night during a terrible storm, exhibiting his knowledge of ships and seamanship. Gibbs seems somewhat worried about their welfare when he tells Jack, “We should drop canvas, sir!” But Jack replies, “She can hold a bit longer.” It seems that nothing, not even nature's fury, can stop him from his plans to confront and punish Barbossa and retake his ship.

     Yet trouble follows Jack, as if it were a conscious entity seeking to punish Jack for his arrogance and self-confidence. The Interceptor arrives at Isla de la Muerta, and Jack takes Will with him to shore. Jack proves himself to be thoroughly human by taunting Will about Will's attitude about pirates—claiming that Will has almost acquired pirate status himself, having “sprung a man out of jail, commandeered a ship of the fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga, and you're completely obsessed with treasure.” But Jack underestimates Will's youth, determination, and brashness. He tells Will to wait for the opportune moment, and, when challenged as to this moment, insults Will by telling him to “stay here and try not to do anything stupid.” To which Will answers with a blow to Jack's head with an oar, knocking Jack out.

     Jack has lost control of the situation and must regroup quickly. While no doubt sporting an enormous headache (which may be the reason his listing walk seems more pronounced), Jack turns foppish and foolish; yet he manages to stay his death long enough to invoke the right of parley. When he doesn't see Will or Elizabeth, he wisely holds his knowledge of Will Turner closely, merely telling Barbossa, “The girl's blood didn't work, did it?” and “I know whose blood you need.” He proceeds to bargain with Barbossa, exchanging the Black Pearl for the information Barbossa requires. He is supremely confident that he has Barbossa over a barrel—until the bo'son reports the Interceptor in sight. Yet another setback! Jack may have assumed that Barbossa had the Aztec medallion and needed only the correct blood to go with it. When he sees the Interceptor, he realizes his mistake and attempts to regain his advantage by requesting, “We run up a flag of truce, I scurry over to the Interceptor, and negotiate the return of your medallion, eh. What say you to that?” Barbossa still knows nothing of Will, and Jack wants to keep it that way. But Barbossa turns the tables, stating “No. You see, Jack, that's the very attitude that lost you the Pearl. People are easy to search when they're dead!” and throws Jack into the brig.

     By his manner of walk, one can see Jack is highly agitated but trying to hold it in. He lives by fairness and honor, but true pirates have no honor or regrets, hence Barbossa's willingness to kill to get what he wants, while Jack will always try talk and rationale first before violence. Once alone again in a cell, he immediately looks through a hole in the shipside to watch what transpires. When the battle between the Interceptor and the Black Pearl gets underway, Jack becomes enraged, presumably at Will and Gibbs, for damage done to the Black Pearl, shouting “Stop blowing holes in my ship!” But that one blast opens the cell door, and Jack quickly ascends to the deck. He dislodges a sailor from a rope and swings aboard the Interceptor. His mind is on regaining the medallion, though he does prevent a pirate from shooting Elizabeth and drops both of them out of gunfire. He quickly asks Elizabeth, “Where's the medallion?” When Elizabeth draws back to strike him, he sees the bandage on her hand, knows trial was made of her blood, and realizes that Will probably has the medallion, so he questions, “Ah! And where is dear William?” Elizabeth rushes off, but Jack remains, watching everything closely, which is why he is the only one to see the monkey with the medallion running across the fallen mast back to the Black Pearl. Jack knows he must get that medallion to increase his bargaining power with Barbossa. Despite a frantic chase, he loses and is once again under Barbossa's control, as is Elizabeth and the Interceptor's crew. As the Interceptor explodes, Jack winces, thinking Will is dead and the curse will never be lifted. Yet, miraculously, Will appears over the rail, seizes a pistol, and demands Elizabeth's freedom. While, knowing Jack, he may have been planning his next move, Will's appearance both elates and worries him---elates because his plans may still succeed; worried because of Will's brashness and inexperience with pirates. He pleads quietly, “Don't do anything stupid.” Trying desperately to signal to Will not to reveal himself, Jack tries to claim Will as an impotent lost relative but to no avail. Will tells Barbossa who he is. Jack is frantic, trying to get Will to wise up and name Jack as Captain of the Black Pearl. But Will is young and totally misses the signals, though he does barter for the crew's safety and Elizabeth's freedom. Barbossa agrees, then orders Elizabeth to walk the plank. Jack is busily trying to makeup to his former crewmembers in order to stay on the Pearl. Again, no avail. Barbossa forces Jack to walk the plank as well, allowing him only his sword and his pistol with one shot (which he must first rescue from the shoals before swimming to shore).

     Jack Sparrow is completely enraged and frustrated to be back at square one, as demonstrated by his tone and expression in saying, “That's the second time I've watched that man sail away in my ship.” This is the same island he landed on ten years before, but now he feels his options are limited. Elizabeth's demands for his past rescue forces him to answer her roughly, “To what point and purpose, Missy? The Black Pearl is gone. So, unless you have a rudder and lots of sail hidden in that bodice, unlikely, young Mr. Turner will be dead long before you can reach him.” Jack begins his new stay by searching out the old cache of rum, while listening to Elizabeth's constant haranguing which angers him further. To shut her up, he tells her truthfully he was on the island before only three days before bartering passage off with the rumrunners.

     Jack must be forgiven for getting drunk. He just wants his ship and his freedom. He is tired, frustrated, and angry. While a seemingly drunk Elizabeth is a minor distraction, Jack speaks longingly of what a ship is, “not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails—that's what a ship needs—but what a ship is—what the Black Pearl really is—is freedom.” This is the quintessential Captain Jack Sparrow: free-spirited, freehearted, freedom-loving, and just plain free, period. Even though drunk, he is already planning to get back to the Pearl, although just how he does not as yet know. He gains a wild stroke of luck when he awakens and sees Elizabeth's bonfire. While not at all happy that “the rum's gone,” at least being rescued by the Dauntless puts him once more into the game.

     On board, he jumps to Elizabeth's aid in enlisting the Dauntless to pursue Will and, by extension, Barbossa. He sways Norrington by saying, “The Pearl was running near the scuppers after the battle. It's highly unlikely she'd be able to make good time. Think about it! The Black Pearl! The last real pirate threat in the Caribbean, mate. How can you pass that up?” After Elizabeth promises to wed Norrington in exchange for rescuing Will, Jack erupts with elation, knowing his plans are back in line, “Weddings! I love weddings! Drinks all round!” Contritely, he offers his hands for the chains—a beguilement to diffuse Norrington. Jack gives the bearings of Isla de la Muerta and comports himself well on the journey. So well, in fact, that Norrington takes him along to set up the attack on the pirates.

     As he rows once more into the cave, Jack's expression of pure contentment and mischief relays his joy at once more confronting Barbossa and regaining the Pearl. Stopping the blood ritual by informing Barbossa of the lurking Dauntless, Jack maneuvers himself close to the treasure he sought ten years earlier. He manipulates Barbossa onto postponing the ritual until the Dauntless has been captured. He even offers to sail under Barbossa, an offer Jack has no intention of keeping. But Jack must still deal with Will, who he hopes has finally learned some discretion. To Barbossa's question of killing Will, Jack replies, “By all means, kill the whelp. Just not yet. Wait to lift the curse… and he looks hard at Will as if to say 'pay close attention here and don't screw this up again,' …until the opportune moment. For instance, after you've killed Norrington's men. Every last one.” Playing with the gold medallions, Jack slyly slips one into his glove. It's a gamble. Jack knows he's cursed now but wants the protection of the curse in his confrontation with Barbossa.

     As Jack had hoped, most of the pirates leave for their takeover of the Dauntless, leaving only Barbossa, Jack, Will, and three pirates as guards in the cave. Jack wants to fight Barbossa, not the other three. He begins bantering with Barbossa, telling him “I'm dishonest. You can always trust a dishonest man to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you have to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly stupid.” With that, Jack seizes a pirate's sword, throws it to Will, draws his own sword, and goes after Barbossa. Does this make Jack an honest man or merely manipulative? One inclines to the latter, as it is in keeping with Jack's plan and character. The fight ensues, and the curse does keep Jack from dying. When Elizabeth arrives and helps Will dispose of the guards, Jack slaps his stolen medallion into his hand, slices the hand with his sword, grips tightly, and tosses the medallion to Will. Barbossa takes aim on Elizabeth, and Jack shoots Barbossa. Will's and Jack's coins fall into the chest, releasing Jack and Barbossa from the curse. Barbossa dies from the gunshot wound.

     Jack promptly starts scrounging for treasure and loading himself down with it. And who can blame him? He's waited for ten years for this moment. He does have some sympathy for Will's inability to express his love for Elizabeth, telling him, “If you were waiting for the opportune moment…that was it,” but his mind is solely on taking back the Black Pearl….his ship and his freedom, saying, “Now, if you don't mind, I'd be much obliged if you'd drop me off my ship.” Elizabeth deflates this elation by telling him the Interceptor crew sailed away from danger with the Black Pearl. Devastated, Jack still does not blame the crew, as “They done what's right by them. Can't expect more than that.” His dream is over. His ship is gone once again. He will face a hanging in Port Royal for piracy. And he is resigned to it.

     In Port Royal, Jack stands quietly, listening to his “list of crimes,” smiling wryly as he remembers some of his past escapades. A hint of his arrogance remains as he corrects the herald “Captain! Captain Jack Sparrow!” wishing that, just once, those strait-laced Englishmen would get it right. He calmly puts his neck in the noose, prepared to die. Will Turner comes to his aid, throwing a sword under the platform upon which Jack lands. Surprised, Jack grasps at one last chance to escape. In the ensuing battle, the hangman cuts the rope around Jack's neck, and he falls to the ground. Leaping up, Jack quickly cuts the bounds from his hands on the impaled sword, joins Will, and they battle together, trying desperately to get clear of the soldiers. But no…too many. Surrounded, Jack stands behind Will, waiting to see if another opportunity will present itself. And it does, though not as Jack expected. Both Will and Elizabeth stand up for Jack, proclaiming him “a good man.” Jack accepts this act of friendship as his due. Glancing up, he spies Cotton's parrot flying out over the bay. He knows the Black Pearl is near!

     As Jack realizes he will be allowed to go free, he becomes once again the happy-go-lucky Captain Jack Sparrow and has parting words for everyone. After bidding all a sarcastic farewell, Jack jumps to the parapet and starts to make his usual “This is the day you'll always remember…” speech, but he stumbles backward over the parapet and falls into the bay. Accident…or careful planning? He spent the time behind Will glancing around at the escape routes. Upon surfacing, he sees the Black Pearl sailing toward him, resplendently clean and sporting brand new sails. As he nears the ship, he grabs a rope thrown by Cotton and is hauled onboard. Once there, he sternly asks Gibbs, “I thought you were to hold to the code.” But Jack knows he's home. One last surprise comes from Anamaria, to whom Jack owes a ship. Holding his coat, she says, “Captain Sparrow, the Black Pearl is yours,” revealing in this one statement the crew's loyalty and willingness to sail under Captain Jack Sparrow, no matter how odd he may appear to be. Jack lovingly approaches the wheel, caressing it with a look of pure joy until he realizes the crew is watching. He barks out his orders, “On deck, you scabrous dogs! Hands to braces. Make our hull ready to run free!” No more mincing or slurred words…Captain Jack Sparrow is in command! As the crew scrambles to duty, Jack turns his face forward to the sea, murmuring, “Now, bring me that horizon!” As they set sail, he cannot resist a roguish “Drink up, me hearties! YO HO!” Captain Jack Sparrow is free at last!

     This rather lengthy walk through Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl illustrates several key facets of Captain Jack Sparrow.

     Manner: The foppish, fey, and wincing Jack Sparrow is not the real Jack Sparrow. Jack Sparrow is too sure-footed on deck and on land. His fighting skills reveal strength and agility born of practice and application. After all, Jack fought for ten long years to regain the Black Pearl. He lost his innocence and naiveté, and he learned a great deal about human nature. He knows the drunkard and the simpleton will always pass through crowds with little or no notice. The pirate brand makes this disguise all the more necessary, therefore one suspects the disguise as an elaborate scheme designed specifically for the goal of regaining the Black Pearl. True, he's a drinker, carouser, and rogue, but he is also dedicated to his own goals and a life of freedom on the high seas. No action is too foolish if it assists in the attainment of that goal. While Jack does, indeed, seem to switch sides frequently, he never fails to remain on target and in pursuit of his main goal. Nor does he ever compromise on his principles. The only person who suffers harm at Jack's hand is the one person Jack swore to harm…Captain Barbossa, his “murderous first mate!” He even leads Barbossa to believe him mad and ineffectual, until the moment Barbossa looks down the barrel of Jack's pistol and sees a look of a hunter who has won his prey!

     Education: This aspect is more deduction than immediate notice. But thanks to a look into the early version of Jack Sparrow provided by Stuart Beattie and Jay Wolpert, this author learned that Jack worked as a cartographer in England and managed to commission the Black Pearl on his own. Cartography was not an easy job; it required an education to start with and intensive training in map-making, therefore Jack must have had a good education as a child. In England of the time period, only wealthy people could afford to educate their children, so Jack may have been a second or third son of a wealthy person, though probably not royalty. He would have learned reading, writing, mathematics, and literature, which could explain his reference to Dante's Divine Comedy. He would also have learned to use the sword as part of his early training. Jack Sparrow is an educated man. His manner of speech, even when slurred, is precise, marking him as one of the wealthier classes and explaining his ease with higher society. How and why he chose to become a pirate is a matter of speculation. He loves his freedom, but, as a younger son of a wealthy family, he may have been told he must do what was right for his family, which would entail remaining in England and under his father's thumb. Certainly, he is self-educated in the ways of piracy. He is also a bit of a philosopher, probably acquired both from ten years of foot-loose (or ship-loose) roaming and his earlier classical education. He has visited several countries and experienced several different cultures. He has met good men and bad, simpletons and noblemen, whores and ladies…every aspect of society lies in his experience. He slides too easily from one class to another for it to be only a hoax he thought of on the spur of the moment. Jack plans every detail of his ventures and uses all the weapons of his physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional arsenal. He is a master manipulator but with a sure sense of justice and a code of ethics by which he lives his life. He lectures Will about facing and dealing with his (Will's) heritage. He understands honesty and dishonesty, honor and dishonor. In fact, one could make a case that Jack was referring to himself and his ten-year wandering when he tells Will “it's remarkable how often those two traits (brilliance and madness) coincide.” This author is strongly reminded of Odysseus and his ten-year wandering to return home to Ithaca, equating Jack with Odysseus and the Black Pearl with Penelope/Ithaca. Who will write the tale of Captain Jack Sparrow's odyssey?

     Appearance: On the surface a fey, sun-baked, rum-soaked rogue who lives each moment to its fullest, Jack is, instead, a fast yet thorough thinker. His plans are already in motion when he sails into Port Royal. His physical appearance is just as a pirate would be, especially one who has been wandering in search of his ship for ten years. The beads and bangles may have been an addition to enhance the idea of insanity. With each setback, he finds a way to get back on track. Deductively, he would have found his way without the aid of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann…it may have taken a bit longer, but he would have found a way. He is single-minded and extremely focused. Friends he has, if few, Mr. Gibbs being one. And he wins admiration despite his apparent lack of concern for the people he uses.

     Personality/Character: Jack is a good man. One cannot know if he began his pirate life that way, but, after ten years, he has learned valuable lessons. He will not kill or maim unless absolutely necessary. He goes out of his way to save Elizabeth from drowning, to educate Will, and to assist the British soldiers in their fight against the cursed pirates. He never harms Elizabeth or Mr. Brown, the blacksmith. He does not hit women, though provoked enough to do so (Elizabeth's rant and bonfire on the deserted island). He does live by a code, a code that has been modified over ten years. He simply wishes to be what he is, a pirate captain at the helm of his own ship. He is happiest when seeking “that horizon.” By himself, he will harm no man, woman, or child. But provoke him or do wrong by him, watch out! Jack Sparrow has a long memory and a keen mind for plans and details.

     He may seem foppish, fey, foolish, and inept, but Captain Jack Sparrow is a deeply complex man who loves his precious freedom. Not much gets by him. He is ever watchful and observant, both of his environment and human nature. One must wonder if rum is not the only thing he “drinks up, me hearties. Yo Ho!”


 

All dialogue courtesy of:

Elliott, Ted and Terry Rossio. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
     Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer. Director: Gore Verbinsky. Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group.
     Walt Disney Pictures. July 9, 2003.

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The Captain Jack Sparrow Character Analysis © Katherine Judd, 2003