Weatherby Swann
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Weatherby Swann, or Governor Swann, is the fictional governor of the Caribbean town of Port Royal in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean movies: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Dead Man's Chest (2006), and At Worlds End. Swann is the father of the movies' beautiful heroine Elizabeth Swann, played by Keira Knightley. In contrast to his strong-willed daughter, he is something of a milquetoast. Both Elizabeth and the Governor sailed from England to the Caribbean eight years before, along with then Lieutenant James Norrington, presumably when Swann assumed the governor's post. Swann is a doting father, and he wishes for his daughter to accept Commodore Norrington's marriage proposal. However, he eventually comes to accept that she truly loves Will Turner. According to the Pirates of the Caribbean Visual Guide, Elizabeth's mother died when Elizabeth was a young child. Governor Weatherby Swann is portrayed by actor Jonathan Pryce.
[edit] Traits
Weatherby, presumably raised in England, firmly believes that English tradition, customs, and ideals should be upheld by its citizens, regardless of their place in the British Empire. Weatherby comments about the propriety of English women when his daughter, Elizabeth Swann, mentions to Will Turner that she dreamed about him the night before. As a sign of his office, he wears an large periwig, in contrast to the smaller, more fashionable wigs worn by other characters. The larger the wig, the higher and more important was the wearer's professional rank. Hence the term, "a big wig."
Weatherby is deeply devoted to his daughter, risking his position as colonial governor in order to help her escape from captivity in the second film. Later, when his daughter's safety is threatened, he unhappily agrees to help the East India Trading Company in the hopes that she will be protected. His love for Elizabeth is therefore more important to him than his social standing or his sense of honor and duty.
He does not consider Will Turner a suitable match for his daughter, but he has apparently consented to the marriage and formed a cordial relationship with his future son-in-law. Nonetheless, Weatherby's actions in the second film make it clear that he would willingly sacrifice Will to ensure Elizabeth's well-being.
[edit] Trivia
According to the Pirates 1 DVD commentary, in earlier drafts of the script, Swann was a relatively minor character and did not accompany Commodore Norrington in the search for Elizabeth. The character's role was expanded when it was realized there were no principal characters present during the final battle between the Royal Navy crewman and the pirates aboard H.M.S. Dauntless.
