Captain Elizabeth Swann is a major character from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. She was a frequent ally of Captain Jack Sparrow, who became the Captain of the Empress, the Brethren Court's Pirate Lord of the South China Sea, and elected Pirate King of the Brethren Court. She was portrayed by Keira Knightley.
History[]
Background[]
The intersection between the continuity of the Pirates of the Caribbean films and Pirates of the Caribbean attractions are unknown. This article is dedicated to Elizabeth's history in the attractions and as referenced in the attractions. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) is not to be considered as cannon or fully cannon due to its lack of continuity with the lore, world-building and characterization of prior Pirates of the Caribbean stories.
Origins[]
Elizabeth Swann was daughter of nobleman Weatherby Swann and a mother who died when Elizabeth was fairly young. When Elizabeth was a child, her father was made governor of Jamaica and their family made the crossing from England to Port Royal. On this journey, they happened upon a ship destroyed by pirates where Elizabeth spotted the ship's sole survivor, a young boy named William Turner. As William had a gold medallion with a skull on it, Elizabeth was worried he would be deemed a pirate and hanged by the British, so she took the medallion for herself to save him.
In Port Royal, Elizabeth was constrained by noble-woman virtues while secretly becoming keenly interested in pirate history and culture. All the while, she and William harboured a secret and unspoken love for one another which could never be due to their different classes. Amidst this, Elizabeth was courted by British navy officer James Norrington who wished to marry her.
Curse of the Black Pearl[]
Capture[]
When Norrington proposed to Elizabeth, her tight corset caused her to faint and fall off a cliff into the harbour where her medallion called out to cursed pirates looking for it from across the sea. Elizabeth was saved by pirate Captain Jack Sparrow whom subsequently used her as a hostage for his escape from her father and Norrington who wished to have him hanged. After Jack was captured, the Black Pearl, commanded by Captain Barbossa and his crew of pirates cursed by the gold medallion and in need of it back. Elizabeth was attacked by pirates Pintel & Ragetti, though she used her knowledge of the Pirate's Code to call for a parlay with Barbossa.
Aboard the Black Pearl, Elizabeth used the fake name, "Elizabeth Turner" to hide her high value as a hostage being the governor's daughter, and pieced together that the pirates wanted her medallion and used it as leverage to negotiate them leaving Port Royal. Barbossa agreed however also took her captive, as her using the name Turner lead to them believing she was daughter of their former crew-mate Bootstrap Bill Turner, the father of William who they sent overboard before learning they needed his blood to free their curse. Barbossa informed Elizabeth on the nature of their corpse and took her to Isla de Muerta to cut her palm for its blood, only for it to not work.
Breaking the Curse[]
Shortly after this, Elizabeth escaped Isla de Muerta with the help of William who had teamed up with Jack Sparrow to do so, while leaving Jack behind on the island. While attempting to escape on the stolen ship The Interceptor, Elizabeth and Will became pursued by Barbossa who took them all captive and destroyed the ship; though Elizabeth and Will managed to put up more of a fight. After this, Will revealed to Barbossa that he had the blood which they needed and took himself hostage to negotiate Elizabeth's return to shore. As Will failed to mention when or where she would be returned, she was marooned on a desert island with Jack to die.
Elizabeth knew that Jack had previously escaped the island only to learn that the island was a rum-runner's outpost and that he just sat on the island drunk for days until he was picked up; however said smugglers were long out of business. Elizabeth crafted a plan to get help, which she started by faking getting drunk on the rum, encouraging Jack to get so drunk on rum that he passed out, then setting all of the rum on fire to create a massive smoke signal for help. To Jack's dismay, this plan worked and brought Norrington and her father to the rescue.
The British refused to assist Elizabeth and Jack in rescuing Will, until she agreed to marry Norrington if he were to do so. When they arrived at Isla de Muerta, Norrington and the governor had Elizabeth locked away in the ship's cabin while Jack was sent over to send the pirates out into a trap. Elizabeth escaped the ship by crafting a rope from clothing, only to find the crew of the Black Pearl using their undead powers to attack from below. Elizabeth snuck aboard the Black Pearl where she freed the crew of the Interceptor, fought off Barbossa's pet monkey Jack, and allowed for the Interceptor's crew to take the Pearl. When they refused to help Jack or Will due to the Code, she encouraged them to hang the code only to wind up going alone to help anyways.
Within Isla de Muerta, she and Will fought off Barbossa's men side-by-side until Will shed some of his blood into the chest, and returned the final medallion at which point Jack shot Barbossa dead. The crew of the Black Pearl was arrested by Norrington, while Elizabeth returned to Port Royal to fulfil her promise. When Jack was to be hanged by Norrington, Elizabeth assisted Will in letting him escape before being allowed to go back on her vow and become engaged to William instead.
Dead Man's Chest[]
Arrest & Escape[]
Due to having assisted in Jack Sparrow's escape, Will and Elizabeth's wedding was interrupted by Jack's old enemy Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company, who wished for them both to hang. Beckett ordered for the arrest of Will, Elizabeth and Norrington (who was absent), but promised Elizabeth's freedom if Will would bring Beckett the compass of Jack Sparrow. While Will set off to find Jack, Elizabeth's father attempted to have Elizabeth escape on a ship only for this to be sabotaged by Beckett's men. Elizabeth escaped before the sabotage and broke into the office of Lord Beckett where she held him at gunpoint to give her pardons and instruct him on the information which she wanted.
Elizabeth then disguised herself as a young man and escaped on a merchant-ship, where she used cunning to trick them into thinking the vessel was haunted by a spirit who wished to arrive in Tortuga. In Tortuga, Elizabeth found both Jack and an alcoholic Norrington whom had joined Jack's crew. From Jack, Elizabeth learned that Will was press-ganged into the crew of Davy Jones and that the only way to save him would be to acquire the heart of Davy Jones, which she could do by holding Jack's compass as it pointed to whatever its user wants most.
The Heart of Davy Jones[]
At World's End[]
Pirate King[]
Later history[]
Appearances[]
Fantasmic![]
Barbossa appears, recreating her role from Curse of the Black Pearl as she and Jack fight-off and escape Barbossa's crew.
Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island[]
Within Dead Man's Grotto, there is a small portrait of Elizabeth, her diary, and letters of marque sent to her Port Royal address; all being protected by Pintel and Ragetti.[1][2] Also on the island is a blacksmith's shop run by her husband, William.
Treasure Cove[]
A sign upon a gazebo reads, "Sing of Captain Will Turner cursed to the Flying Dutchman eternally bound Stepping foot on Land but for once ev'ry ten years but if Elizabeth is devoted, and her love is true, the curse will be broken with lovers joyous tears".[3]
Barbossa's Bounty[]
A portrait depicts Elizabeth along with the other eight pirate-lords of the Caribbean. There is also a portrait solely depicting Elizabeth, with items belonging to her.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- A blue variant of Sao Feng's typically purple Jolly Roger hangs over the entrance to Tortuga Tavern, potentially representing Elizabeth's flag.
References[]
- ↑ https://www.icollector.com/Disney-Disneyland-PIRATES-OF-THE-CARIBBEAN-Tom-Sawyer-Island-Elizabeth-Book-Prop_i21947669
- ↑ https://www.pinterest.fr/pin/291185932155009027/?amp_client_id=CLIENT_ID%28_%29&mweb_unauth_id=%7B%7Bdefault.session%7D%7D&_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.fr%2Famp%2Fpin%2F291185932155009027%2F&_expand=true
- ↑ https://www.rollercoasterphilosophy.com/tag/pirates-of-the-caribbean-battle-for-the-sunken-treasure/