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Captain Blood · Theme

Honor and Identity

How Captain Blood develops Honor and Identity.

Captain Blood struggles to maintain his personal honor and gentlemanly conduct despite being labeled a thief and pirate, particularly in his relationship with Arabella Bishop, who represents the civilized world that rejects him.

Where it surfaces

  • VIII: Spaniards

    Don Diego seeks vengeance for his earlier defeat, driven by personal honor, while Blood's actions as a slave and former physician reveal his true character.

  • X: Don Diego

    Don Diego struggles with his honor as a Spanish captain while negotiating for his life and his son's life with the pirate Blood.

  • XI: Filial Piety

    Blood's insistence on being called 'Irish' and his manipulation of Spanish honor and filial piety highlight the complex codes of honor among the characters.

  • XII: Don Pedro Sangre

    Blood adopts the alias Don Pedro Sangre, navigating the performance of Spanish honor to achieve his goals.

  • XV: The Ransom

    Blood asserts his 'rags of honor' by refusing to treat the d'Ogerons as mere prizes, contrasting his conduct with Levasseur's brutality.

  • XVII: The Dupes

    Don Francisco appeals to Captain Blood's honor as a gentleman, and Blood reflects on the utility of a chivalrous reputation among pirates.

  • The Milagrosa

    Don Miguel's obsession with honor and vengeance drives him to madness and piracy, while Blood's identity as a buccaneer is reconsidered by Sunderland as a potential royal servant.

  • The Meeting

    Blood's refusal to hang Don Miguel because he himself is a pirate reflects his complex sense of honor and identity as an outlaw.

  • XX: Thief and Pirate

    Blood is tormented by Arabella's branding him 'thief and pirate,' forcing him to confront his self-image and the moral compromises of his buccaneer life.

  • XXI: The Service of King James

    Blood grapples with his identity as a former pirate and rebel, questioning whether serving England can redeem him, while Arabella argues that serving the country is honorable regardless of the sovereign.

  • XXVI: M. de Rivarol

    Blood asserts his self-respect and honor, accusing Rivarol of piracy and defending the honor of France against a greedy, dishonorable plan.

  • XXIX: The Service of King William

    Blood's decision to protect Port Royal and his generous treatment of the rescued officials demonstrate his personal honor and evolving identity from pirate to potential royal servant.