Power and Corruption

Where it surfaces

• II

  The crown's manipulation of the indenture system and the exploitation of convicts and vagrants illustrate the corrupt use of power for economic and political ends.

• IV

  Henry's rise to power is marked by a cold, merciless logic that dehumanizes slaves and justifies theft, illustrating how absolute control corrupts.

• VII

  Sir Edward's cold authority and the decadent, lawless atmosphere of Port Royal highlight the corrupting influence of power.

• III

  The buccaneers' rise to power is marked by cruelty and corruption, as seen in L'Ollonais's sadism and the exploitation of the Spanish.

• I

  Morgan's cold, detached leadership and the adulation he receives from the pirate brotherhood highlight the corrupting influence of power.

• V

  Sir Edward's concern with appearances and reputation even in death underscores the corrupting influence of power and status.

• IV

  Governor Don Juan Perez de Guzman is more concerned with appearances and religious rituals than with actual military preparedness, reflecting the corruption of Spanish colonial power.

• I

  Morgan wields absolute authority over the fleet, threatening death to deserters, while the buccaneers are driven by greed and plunder.

• III

  Morgan's ruthless interrogation and the buccaneers' drunken violence illustrate how power corrupts and leads to cruelty.

• IV

  Morgan's murder of the Cockney Jones and his attempt to rape Ysobel illustrate the corrupting influence of absolute power.

• V

  Morgan's absolute authority leads to impulsive murder and moral decay, as he kills Coeur de Gris without clear reason.

• The Division of Spoils

  Morgan's apparent betrayal of his men by absconding with the treasure illustrates the corrupting influence of power and greed.

• V

  Morgan's rise to power is accompanied by a loss of innocence and a growing awareness of the corrupting influence of wealth and authority.

• I

  The Governor and Henry discuss using money to placate the King, and Henry's popularity with the mob gives him leverage, illustrating the corrupting influence of power and wealth.

• II

  The King's cynical manipulation of Morgan's piracy for state ends and Morgan's moral compromise in accepting the lieutenant-governorship.

• III

  Henry Morgan's role as judge forces him to execute former comrades, highlighting the corrupting influence of institutional power and the loss of personal integrity.