The subject of piracy and pirates is immensely popular. Most individuals today have a general idea of what a pirate is, whether it is realistic or fictional. Since the 16th century, the image and connotation of the pirate has been widely spread through popular culture and media throughout history. Depictions of pirates were in drawn images, song, newspaper articles, personal accounts in diaries, and as technology developed it progressed into cinema. Movie portrayals of pirates have differed throughout the ages, with the pirate transitioning from a violent and ruthless scoundrel to a comedic swindler. As such, historical accuracy can be compromised for the cinematic bells and whistles Hollywood requires. For instance, in one of the more modern piratical films Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, the overall themes and portrayal of pirates and piracy are for the most part historically accurate, but the actual historical content is at times incorrect. Pirates have notoriously been known to be a violent and untrustworthy bunch by the masses, raiding, pillaging, and raping those who come by them if goods are present. In the piratical ballad Pirates Last Farewell, the lines “With which we robb’d and plunder’d too, no ship that we did spare, Thus many a one we did undo, let pyrates then take care.” show pirates negatively as sparing nobody for their conquest of treasure and trade. In the film, we are introduced to Captain Jack Sparrow, who does not convey the threatening stereotypical image of a pirate. He is for the most part unarmed and ill-equipped when searched at Port Royal by British Navy officials, relies on improvising and threats rather than violence when making escapes and stealing ships, and jokingly defies authority. Jacks mission is, as he states is to the gullible guards is to “Commandeer one of these ships, pick up a crew in Tortuga, raid, pillage,
The subject of piracy and pirates is immensely popular. Most individuals today have a general idea of what a pirate is, whether it is realistic or fictional. Since the 16th century, the image and connotation of the pirate has been widely spread through popular culture and media throughout history. Depictions of pirates were in drawn images, song, newspaper articles, personal accounts in diaries, and as technology developed it progressed into cinema. Movie portrayals of pirates have differed throughout the ages, with the pirate transitioning from a violent and ruthless scoundrel to a comedic swindler. As such, historical accuracy can be compromised for the cinematic bells and whistles Hollywood requires. For instance, in one of the more modern piratical films Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, the overall themes and portrayal of pirates and piracy are for the most part historically accurate, but the actual historical content is at times incorrect. Pirates have notoriously been known to be a violent and untrustworthy bunch by the masses, raiding, pillaging, and raping those who come by them if goods are present. In the piratical ballad Pirates Last Farewell, the lines “With which we robb’d and plunder’d too, no ship that we did spare, Thus many a one we did undo, let pyrates then take care.” show pirates negatively as sparing nobody for their conquest of treasure and trade. In the film, we are introduced to Captain Jack Sparrow, who does not convey the threatening stereotypical image of a pirate. He is for the most part unarmed and ill-equipped when searched at Port Royal by British Navy officials, relies on improvising and threats rather than violence when making escapes and stealing ships, and jokingly defies authority. Jacks mission is, as he states is to the gullible guards is to “Commandeer one of these ships, pick up a crew in Tortuga, raid, pillage,