Hector Barbossa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Captain Hector Barbossa | |
 Geoffrey Rush as Hector Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End |
|
| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Profession | Pirate Captain Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea Formerly: first mate |
| Ship(s) served on | The Black Pearl Hai Peng |
| Weaponry | Rapier Pistol Hand grenades |
| Bounty | 10000 Guineas |
| Ships Attacked | HMS Interceptor HMS Endeavour Flying Dutchman |
| Appearance(s) | The Curse of the Black Pearl Dead Man's Chest (ending only) At World's End |
| Portrayer | Geoffrey Rush |
Hector Barbossa is a fictional character in the popular Disney film trilogy Pirates of the Caribbean. Barbossa was first introduced in the series as the primary antagonist in the trilogy's first installment, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Having met his demise in the climax of first film, his character is resurrected at the end the second film, becoming one of the heroes of the third film. In the third film, it is revealed that Barbossa is also one of the nine pirate lords as pirate lord of the Caspian Sea territory. Barbossa is portrayed by Australian actor Geoffrey Rush in all the films.
Contents |
[edit] Development
Barbossa's first name "Hector" was revealed in a director's commentary on the Curse of the Black Pearl DVD, but was not revealed by any of the characters until the last film of the series. It was revealed that Johnny Depp, together with the Internet, played a decisive part in giving the name.[1] His last name is both a pun on the Italian/Portuguese surname “Barbossa” and is based on Barbarossa, the dreaded pirate also known as Aruj, Oruç Reis and Redbeard; the word barbossa in Italian language means “beard of bones,” which is very consistent with his skeletal look shown in the first movie. His weapons were his gun and sword.
[edit] Fictional Biography
[edit] Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
In Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Barbossa is captain of the pirate ship the Black Pearl, although he was originally the ship's first mate under Captain Jack Sparrow. Barbossa persuaded Captain Sparrow to reveal the bearings to Isla de Muerta where the Chest of Cortez, containing Aztec gold, is hidden. After Sparrow divulged the location, Barbossa and the crew mutineed and marooned Sparrow on a tiny island, with only a single-shot pistol with which to commit suicide. Jack escaped after three days, swearing to use the pistol's single shot to kill Barbossa, and spent the next ten years seeking revenge.
Barbossa and the crew found the Aztec treasure and came afoul of a curse of undeath placed upon the gold by the Aztec gods, their undeath made plain to see under the moonlight. To lift the curse, the crew must return every coin to the chest and offer their blood. They also need their former shipmate, "Bootstrap Bill" Turner's blood, the lone holdout against the mutiny. Believing the crew deserved to remain cursed for betraying Jack, he sent one coin to his son, Will. In retaliation, he was tied to a cannon and thrown overboard. For years, Barbossa searched for the last coin that has since come into the possession of Elizabeth Swann, Governor Weatherby Swann's daughter. Barbossa sets sail for Port Royal after detecting a "signal" when the coin touches the sea. Unknown to him, Jack Sparrow is also in Port Royal.
Believing Elizabeth is Bootstrap's daughter (and thus, the means to breaking their curse), Barbossa makes off with her and the medallion. He reveals their cursed state en route to Isla de Muerta. Upon arrival, Barbossa performs a ritual offering Elizabeth's blood, mistakenly believing her to be Bill Turner's child; the ritual fails. Will and Sparrow rescue Elizabeth, and they escape with the medallion. An unconscious Jack Sparrow is left behind and taken prisoner aboard the Pearl. Barbossa pursues the Interceptor. Catching them, Barbossa learns Will's true identity. He maroons Jack and Elizabeth and imprisons Will and the crew. Before he can finish performing the ritual using Will's blood, Sparrow makes another unexpected return and strikes a bargain with Barbossa with the intent of betraying him.
While the pirates battle the Royal Navy, Jack duels Barbossa, having secretly swiped a cursed coin while bargaining with him. Now both are undead, unable to defeat one another. When it looks like Jack and Will are ready to turn the tables, Barbossa pulls a gun, threatening to shoot the newly arrived Elizabeth Swann. Jack then shoots Barbossa with the pistol he received when he was marooned. At this point Will returns the final coin to the Chest and breaks the curse; thus, Barbossa is fatally shot. As blood gushes from the now-mortal Barbossa's wound, he says "I feel... cold." It is the first physical sensation he has experienced since the curse was put upon him. After he falls dead, an eerily content expression is on his face. A green apple rolls from Barbossa's hand; his favourite fruit now symbolizes his lost life.
After the main credits, Barbossa's pet monkey can be seen stealing another coin.
[edit] Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Barbossa's character is resurrected during this film, however does not appear until the ending of the final scene. Having met his demise in the previous installment, Barbossa is resurrected by the character Tia Dalma, in order to fetch Jack Sparrow from Davy Jones' Locker after Sparrow had met his demise against Davy Jones' monster called the Kraken, leaving Dead Man's Chest at a cliff-hanger.
Early in the film, the lower half of a body can be seen on the floor of Tia Dalma's hut as Jack the Monkey perches upon one of the boots worn, alluding to an Easter egg of Barbossa being resurrected by Tia Dalma. It is also seen that Jack Sparrow holds Captain Barbossa's feathered hat.
[edit] Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Barbossa joins forces with Elizabeth, Will and the Black Pearl crew to rescue Jack from Davy Jones' locker. Also along is Tia Dalma. Barbossa seems to have overlooked, at least temporarily, that Jack, Elizabeth and Will were once his enemies, and had caused his death once before.
To reach World's End, the gateway to the Locker, Barbossa needs the navigational charts belonging to Sao Feng, the Pirate Lord of Singapore. During a meeting with Feng, Barbossa and Elizabeth admit that they are planning to retrieve Jack Sparrow, Feng's enemy. Feng is furious over an earlier attempt by Will to steal the charts, but after the East India Trading Company attacks his bathhouse, he is persuaded to loan them the charts and a ship, although only after making a secret deal with Will.
Barbossa and the crew sail to World's End, eventually arriving in Davy Jones' Locker. There they find Sparrow and the Black Pearl. Sparrow initially believes they are hallucinations, and he is unhappy over being rescued by those who have attempted or succeeded in killing him. Sparrow agrees to go with them, although he and Barbossa continually dispute who is captain. While searching for an escape route from the Locker, Sparrow and Barbossa form a tenuous alliance when Jack is told that Cutler Beckett now possesses the heart of Davy Jones and is purging piracy. But when Jack learns that whoever stabs Davy Jones' heart will become immortal, he plots his own course.
Returning to the living world, the crew sight land and stop to restock supplies. Distrusting one another, both captains go ashore with a landing party, leaving Will temporarily in command, still unaware he has a deal with Sao Feng. While ashore, they find the dead Kraken, killed by Davy Jones under Lord Beckett's order. Barbossa tells Sparrow that as two of the nine pirate lords, they must attend the Brethren Court convening at Shipwreck Cove, although Jack refuses, intent on seeking immortality. A surprisingly eloquent Barbossa urges Sparrow to look beyond his own self interests and consider the greater good, telling him piracy is being exterminated and there is little nobility or purpose in being the only pirate left in the Caribbean; he will be doomed to the same fate as the Kraken—the last of its kind.
Sao Feng arrives in his warship, the Empress, claiming the Pearl and betraying Will. Hector Barbossa negotiates a new deal with Feng and implies that Calypso, goddess of the sea, is aboard the ship, trapped in human form. Believing Elizabeth is Calypso, Feng demands she be traded to him for the Pearl. Elizabeth, furious over Will's deception, agrees to go with Feng to protect the crew. Will is thrown into the brig by Sparrow as Barbossa and Sparrow head to Shipwreck Cove after escaping Lord Beckett, who arrived at the island.
At the Brethren Court, Barbossa proposes releasing Calypso from her human form to help them fight Beckett. He explains that in another time, they imprisoned her because it suited their own needs, but in doing so, they provided an opportunity for Beckett and his forces to oppose them. He further explains that mastery of the ocean didn't come from bargaining with supernatural beings, but by the strength of a man alone. Although this argument was met with some serious acknowledgement, the other lords are opposed, fearing the sea goddess' power and retaliation. Awaiting Sao Feng's arrival, it is Elizabeth who appears in his place. Feng is dead (killed by the Flying Dutchman), and Elizabeth has been made the Empress' new captain and the Pirate Lord of Singapore. A fight breaks out as the lords argue over going to war and releasing Calypso. According to the Pirata Codex, only a Pirate King can declare war, and the lords move to elect one. Knowing they will only vote for themselves, Sparrow casts his vote for Elizabeth. "King" Elizabeth declares war.
As the pirates prepare to fight, the horizon fills with Lord Beckett's massive armada. Barbossa, who tricked the other pirate lords into giving him their rank insignias, frees Calypso (Tia Dalma) in a ritual. He pleads for her intervention, but Calypso refuses to aid those who kept her imprisoned; her fury creates a giant maelstrom.
Barbossa takes the Black Pearl into battle against the Flying Dutchman. During the fighting, Captain Barbossa marries Will and Elizabeth, as Jack was not there to act as Captain of the Black Pearl, and marry them according to that position. Soon after, Davy Jones fatally wounds Will; Jack, who has captured Davy Jones' heart, helps the dying Will stab it, killing Jones and making Will the Flying Dutchman's immortal captain.
After Beckett's defeat, Barbossa again commandeers the Pearl, stranding Jack and Gibbs in Tortuga. The crew protest leaving Jack Sparrow behind (again), saying they want Barbossa to share the bearings to the Fountain of Youth, mirroring the original mutiny that made Barbossa the Pearl's captain. Barbossa agrees and unrolls the chart, only to discover that Jack has cut out its middle, and rendering their proposed journey to be an impossible one.
[edit] Background
Little is known about Hector Barbossa before he joins the Black Pearl. His name indicates a possible Portuguese and/or Spanish ancestry though he speaks with a West Country accent.
In the "Becoming Barbossa" featurette on the "Lost Disc", Rush shared his personal take on Barbossa's history; his family was poor, and he ran away from home when he was 13. He went to the sea, seing how well the captains and officers lived, decided to become a captain himself. At first, he wanted to be an honest seaman, but soon recognized that piracy was easier and more lucrative.
In At World's End, Hector Barbossa is revealed to be one of the nine Pirate Lords of the Brethren Court. He is the Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea, although as that body of water is endorheic, he pirated elsewhere, eventually settling in the Caribbean, perhaps to take refuge under the Pirate Lord in that area, the notorious Jack Sparrow.[citation needed]
Hector Barbossa has a fondness for apples, which appear throughout the first film. He offers one to the captive Elizabeth and later tells her that once the curse is lifted, he wants to eat a whole bushel full. There are also apples in his cabin, and when he dies, one rolls from his hand, that he apparently brought to eat when the curse was lifted. His cameo appearance in Dead Man's Chest shows him biting into his favorite fruit. In At World's End, he is only shown eating one apple when aboard the Black Pearl. The apple's appearance could have several symbolic meanings: the deadly fruit Eve partook from a snake, or as the devil's apple (referenced in a comment in the film, "A man so evil that Hell itself spat him back out").[original research?] Or perhaps from Disney itself, with the infamous apple from their cartoon classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in which the evil queen attempted to kill Snow White with a poisoned apple.[original research?] Indeed, when Barbossa offers Elizabeth one, she mistakenly believes it is poisoned. It may also be a Vanitas style reference, particularly apt for an immortal character. Apart from symbolism, it may simply be that Hector Barbossa's greatest pleasures is apples and years of being unable to feel, smell, or taste has turned a pleasure into a constant craving.[original research?] Crisp fruit like apples were not commonly available in the Caribbean, so apples would be a rare treasure.
According to the audio commentary from the first Pirates of the Caribbean DVD featuring the scriptwriters, Hector Barbossa is known to be extremely skilled with a sword, one of the finest swordsmen in the Caribbean. His prowess with a blade is evident in his duel with Jack Sparrow, and in the maelstrom battle against the East India Trading Company. In the first film, the Black Pearl crew were hesitant to attack Hector Barbossa, even all at once. The only person known to have survived a one-on-one duel is Jack Sparrow, in the treasure caves of Isla de Muerta. However, this could also be explained by Jack's temporarily being changed into an undead being. Geoffrey Rush comments that Hector Barbossa supposedly used a sword from a very young age, possibly as early as 13.
He uses the same flag as the notorious pirate John "Calico Jack" Rackham.
In Pirates of the Caribbean: The Visual Guide, Hector Barbossa is described as being attentive to his appearance, as his elaborate clothing shows. He wears a large ring bearing a lion's head symbol and has blue ostrich plumes in his hat. His coat buttons are made from recast Incan silver. Also, his pistol once belonged to a Spanish pirate, won in a duel. [1] His position as Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea is revealed in the updated Complete Visual Guide.
[edit] Other appearances
- Hector Barbossa is one of only four Disney villains ever nominated for the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain, the others being Davy Jones, Scar from The Lion King, and Jadis the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
- Hector Barbossa (along with another Black Pearl crewman) is pictured on the cover of WAS IST WAS band 71 Piraten. [2]
- Hector Barbossa appears as a villain in the Pirates of the Caribbean world of Kingdom Hearts II. In that game, he recreates his role in the first movie with the exception of his crew's alliance with Pete. During a confrontation with Sora, Donald, Goofy, Jack and the others, Hector Barbossa agrees to leave with Will Turner, but allows the Heartless to stay on board with the explosives placed on the Interceptor. In the final confrontation with Jack Sparrow and Sora's group, Hector Barbossa makes use of a Gecko-type Heartless named Illuminator, which Pete summons for him, that can hide Hector Barbossa in darkness, as well as his own sword skills and grenades. After being defeated by Sora, Jack and the others, Jack drops his sword and shoots Barbossa with the pistol the renegade captain left him upon his exile. Hector Barbossa laughs it off at first, but Will calls his attention and drops the last two Aztec coins back into the chest, both smeared with his and Jack's blood. Hector Barbossa, his curse broken, feels the pain of his gunshot wound, which struck him directly in the heart. His last words are, "I feel... cold." (the same lines from the film) He then falls backwards, dead (although it is unknown whether or not Tia Dalma will resurrect him in Kingdom Hearts continuity). Due to the filming of the two sequels back-to-back which resulted in the cast being unavailable, Hector Barbossa was voiced by Brian George in the English version. In the Japanese version, he is voiced by Haruhiko Jo.
- Barbossa was made into several action figures by NECA. He appeared in the first wave of Curse of the Black Pearl figures in his human form; that same figure would be re-released as part of the fourth wave of Dead Man's Chest toys. Barbossa's Cursed form was released as a box set, which also featured Jack Sparrow as a zombie, and the chest of cursed Aztec gold. Lastly, he was also released in the At World's End figure line. However, he did not come with Jack the Monkey; Jack the Monkey was released in a figure set along with Marty.[3]
- Barbossa was made as a plush for the M&M Dead Man's Chest promotion. He was the blue M&M.
[edit] References
- ^ Scott Holleran. "Interview: Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio on 'At World's End'", Box Office Mojo, 2003-05-31. Retrieved on 2007-06-06.
[edit] External links
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![[2]](http://shop.pop.de/images/product_images/popup_images/3-78860-411-5.png){kind=link}