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Flagship

Empress
"There you are with two ships. The makings of your own fleet. You'll take the grandest as your flagship, and who's to argue?"
―Jack Sparrow to Hector Barbossa[src]

A flagship was a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, flying a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it was the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the first, largest, fastest, most heavily armed, or best known.

History

"We'll need to use the Black Pearl as a flagship to lead the attack."
―Elizabeth Swann[src]

By the time of Captain James Norrington's promotion to commodore, the HMS Interceptor was considered Norrington's flagship.[1] Prior to the attack on the HMS Dauntless, Jack Sparrow made a deal with Hector Barbossa, in which Barbossa would have the makings of his own fleet, with the HMS Dauntless as his flagship, while Jack captains the Black Pearl.[2] During the war between the Brethren Court against Lord Cutler Beckett and the East India Trading Company,[3] the HMS Endeavour was the most impressive warship on the sea, serving as Beckett's flagship and the symbol of the Crown's power.[4] The Empress was also Sao Feng's flagship, until the captain and Pirate Lord passed his title to Elizabeth Swann, who he believed to be the goddess Calypso.[5] After being elected King of the Fourth Brethren Court, Elizabeth Swann said the Brethren would need to use the Black Pearl to serve as their flagship to lead the attack in the final stand between the Brethren's fleet and Beckett's Armada.[6][3] The Queen Anne's Revenge was Blackbeard's flagship until his death during the quest for the Fountain of Youth in 1750,[7][8] after which it became the flagship of Hector Barbossa's fleet by 1751.[9]

Notable flagships

Behind the scenes

"Captain Norrington's made it his flagship. He'll use it to hunt down the last dregs of piracy on the Spanish Lake."
"Commodore."
"Right. Commodore Norrington."
―Murtogg and Mullroy[src] (early screenplay draft)

Flagships first appear in the 2003 film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.[2] In Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio's early screenplay draft for the film, Murtogg and Mullroy of the British Royal Navy tell Jack Sparrow that Captain-later-Commodore Norrington made the HMS Interceptor his flagship.[12] Although the line never made into Irene Trimble's junior novelization and the final cut of the film, it was retained in Elizabeth Rudnick's junior novelization.[1]

Terry Rossio's 2012 screenplay for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales featured Admiral John Benbow and his ship the HMS Bonaventure. The Bonaventure was described as "the Flagship of the Royal Navy" by Pintel and Ragetti.[13]

Appearances

Sources

External links

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Curse of the Black Pearl 2006 junior novelization, p. 21
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Pirates of the Caribbean PocketModel game
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (video game)
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (junior novelization)
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Pirates 4 Poster Debut: Blackbeard - IGN
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
  10. ↑ The Price of Freedom, Chapter Two: Lady Esmeralda
  11. ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean Online
  12. ↑ Wordplayer.com: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio
  13. ↑ Wordplayer.com: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES by Terry Rossio