Lord Cutler Beckett: A Character Study
Today I paid a whopping 10 Euro to see DMC for the fifth time. Everyone always mentions how they bring notebooks to the theater, but I've never done it before - however, I brought one today, and it came in very handy! (Although I couldn't read some of my writing later on!)
It seems that there have been essays written about every possible aspect of POTC - characters, pairings, you name it. Beckett has been mentioned in different essays, but I have yet to find one solely devoted to him.
Lord Cutler Beckett: A Character Study (with pictures!) I worked really hard on this. Enjoy.
The first time we see Lord Cutler Beckett, he's riding ashore on a horse. This is a very striking image - it left a great impression on me from my first viewing of DMC. I later realized that in the movie, this is Beckett's point. It shows his flair for the dramatic and extravagant, and his need to be "above" the lowly foot soldiers in a position of power and control. Also note that it isn't an ordinary brown horse - it's a white horse.
The next shot we see of him is of his back. This is interesting. It gives the impression that he isn't just standing there waiting for them to arrive - they're waiting for him to deign to turn around and give them his time.
I highly doubt it was an accident that he gave Governor Swann Elizabeth's arrest warrant. He glances at it beforehand, and he surely would have seen the name. After the Governor's disbelieving reply, Beckett says, "Oh, is it? That's annoying. My mistake." He sounds very insincere, with just a touch of amusement at the Governor's shock.
When Will is brought to the East India Trading Company Headquarters, note the expression on Beckett's face. We don't know what he and Mercer were discussing, but he looks very normal here - almost pleasant and amiable. We've seen that he's very capable of malice and ruthlessness, but we can be sure he has his good moods as well, when he is not unpleasant to be around. He is polite to Will, offering him a drink and, even when Will refuses it, he merely leaves it on the table and doesn't seem very bothered. He tells the guards that Will's manacles won't be necessary - this could be for several reasons. He might be deliberately giving Will a false sense of security, and/or he is assured that he will win him over and sees no reason to keep him in chains. He does not doubt that Will will agree to his terms, and that he will be the 'victor' of the exchange.
Throughout the entire scene, he appears very well-mannered and calm, although he makes plain his ambitious intentions. He may be cold and calculating, but he understands social niceties and decorum, even if it is only a veneer for his ruthlessness. Also, take note of his clothes - he is immaculate, elegant and well-dressed, but not flashy or foppish.
Next comes the scene with Elizabeth and the letters of marque. He enters the room reading a document - despite the late hour, he's still neatly dressed. When he discovers the letters missing, he doesn't look shocked, confused or dismayed - he's surprisingly calm. This lends credence to the idea that he's very intelligent. His mind works quickly, and in a matter of seconds he's figured out what's happened.
In fact, thoughout this entire scene, he's remarkably calm and composed. Instead of becoming nervous or confused, he turns the tables when he says, "Ah, I see. You think the Compass leads only to the Isla de Muerta, and so you hope to save me from an evil fate." You can hear the hint of sarcasm in his voice, and can see Elizabeth trying to hide her surprise. When she points the pistol at him, he barely flinches. When she puts the barrel of the pistol under his chin and begins walking to the desk, he follows quickly, not stumbling in fear or falling behind. Even though she has a deadly weapon, he feels calm enough to make remarks about her interrupted marriage, to hold onto the letters when she tries to take them, and to remind her that he still wants the compass.
The next scene involves Becket and Governor Swann. The governor is in shackles, and although he assures Beckett that they aren't necessary, no move is made to remove them. In Will's case, Beckett wanted to lull him into a false sense of security, but with the governor, he wants him to be nervous and uneasy, owing to the subject they are discussing - Elizabeth. Beckett manipulates him by making him fear for his daughter's life. He tells him that Elizabeth is in the company of Jack Sparrow, on a ship that his own fleet will fire upon. "I personally find it distasteful to contemplate the horror facing all those on board," he says. At this point, he knows the governor will do anything to save his daughter - including giving up his position as governor of Port Royal. When he asks Governor Swann, "Shall I remove these shackles?" he isn't really asking about the chains. He's basically saying "Are you going to comply with my wishes?"
This also makes us wonder about Beckett's personal opinion of warfare. He says, "Our ships are in pursuit, and justice will be dispensed by cannonade and cutlass, and all manner of remorseless pieces of metal." It is hard to tell his particular reasons for saying this. He may be simply trying to intimidate and strike fear into Governor Swann by putting images of his daughter's death into his head. The phrase "remorseless pieces of metal" may have been intended to illustrate to the governor that, unlike a soldier who may be hesitant to kill a woman, a cannon will show no mercy. Or, perhaps he really does have a distaste for violent warfare. If this is the case, it's very possible that Beckett prefers to "fight" using the mental weapons of intellect and cunning. Maybe it was both - he made the statement to frighten the governor, but it also hinted at his opinion.
Also note that in this scene, we see Beckett with Norrington's old sword. He obviously knows what he's doing and is comfortable holding it. He may have Mercer to do his dirty work, but he does know how to use a sword - we also see in the opening scene that he is a good equestrian, obviously skilled enough to control a horse in a small boat. He doesn't just sit and does nothing in his office.
In the final scene, we see Beckett sitting at his desk. He's obviously bored, and although he's wearing a façade of calmness, his impatience shows through in his tone of voice when he asks, "Is there any news on the chest?" We get several impressions from this. We already know that Beckett wants what he wants and will go far to get it - he is willing to be patient and "watch and wait", so to speak. He is all about control, both self-control and over others, and a mark of his self-control is his aloof and calm attitude. But his patience is running thin. It takes a lot for his temper to flare up enough to let the mask slip - but when this happens, he is not to be trifled with.
When Norrington makes his presence known, Beckett beckons him forward. This gesture says a lot about Beckett. The gesture is commanding, but casual, as if he is used to having such orders obeyed.
In summary? Beckett is all about control - both self-control and control over others. He likes to be dominant individual in a situation. He probably has a lot going on in his brain, but whatever his emotions, he keeps himself aloof and calm. He is intelligent and cunning, and has the ability to read people, making it easy to manipulate them. Personally, I'm a Beckett fan, and I can't wait to see what he does in At World's End. :) My fan-ship being declared, I'll just say that I tried to write this as objectively as possible - I hope it worked!
It seems that there have been essays written about every possible aspect of POTC - characters, pairings, you name it. Beckett has been mentioned in different essays, but I have yet to find one solely devoted to him.
Lord Cutler Beckett: A Character Study (with pictures!) I worked really hard on this. Enjoy.
The first time we see Lord Cutler Beckett, he's riding ashore on a horse. This is a very striking image - it left a great impression on me from my first viewing of DMC. I later realized that in the movie, this is Beckett's point. It shows his flair for the dramatic and extravagant, and his need to be "above" the lowly foot soldiers in a position of power and control. Also note that it isn't an ordinary brown horse - it's a white horse.
The next shot we see of him is of his back. This is interesting. It gives the impression that he isn't just standing there waiting for them to arrive - they're waiting for him to deign to turn around and give them his time.
I highly doubt it was an accident that he gave Governor Swann Elizabeth's arrest warrant. He glances at it beforehand, and he surely would have seen the name. After the Governor's disbelieving reply, Beckett says, "Oh, is it? That's annoying. My mistake." He sounds very insincere, with just a touch of amusement at the Governor's shock.
When Will is brought to the East India Trading Company Headquarters, note the expression on Beckett's face. We don't know what he and Mercer were discussing, but he looks very normal here - almost pleasant and amiable. We've seen that he's very capable of malice and ruthlessness, but we can be sure he has his good moods as well, when he is not unpleasant to be around. He is polite to Will, offering him a drink and, even when Will refuses it, he merely leaves it on the table and doesn't seem very bothered. He tells the guards that Will's manacles won't be necessary - this could be for several reasons. He might be deliberately giving Will a false sense of security, and/or he is assured that he will win him over and sees no reason to keep him in chains. He does not doubt that Will will agree to his terms, and that he will be the 'victor' of the exchange.
Throughout the entire scene, he appears very well-mannered and calm, although he makes plain his ambitious intentions. He may be cold and calculating, but he understands social niceties and decorum, even if it is only a veneer for his ruthlessness. Also, take note of his clothes - he is immaculate, elegant and well-dressed, but not flashy or foppish.
Next comes the scene with Elizabeth and the letters of marque. He enters the room reading a document - despite the late hour, he's still neatly dressed. When he discovers the letters missing, he doesn't look shocked, confused or dismayed - he's surprisingly calm. This lends credence to the idea that he's very intelligent. His mind works quickly, and in a matter of seconds he's figured out what's happened.
In fact, thoughout this entire scene, he's remarkably calm and composed. Instead of becoming nervous or confused, he turns the tables when he says, "Ah, I see. You think the Compass leads only to the Isla de Muerta, and so you hope to save me from an evil fate." You can hear the hint of sarcasm in his voice, and can see Elizabeth trying to hide her surprise. When she points the pistol at him, he barely flinches. When she puts the barrel of the pistol under his chin and begins walking to the desk, he follows quickly, not stumbling in fear or falling behind. Even though she has a deadly weapon, he feels calm enough to make remarks about her interrupted marriage, to hold onto the letters when she tries to take them, and to remind her that he still wants the compass.
The next scene involves Becket and Governor Swann. The governor is in shackles, and although he assures Beckett that they aren't necessary, no move is made to remove them. In Will's case, Beckett wanted to lull him into a false sense of security, but with the governor, he wants him to be nervous and uneasy, owing to the subject they are discussing - Elizabeth. Beckett manipulates him by making him fear for his daughter's life. He tells him that Elizabeth is in the company of Jack Sparrow, on a ship that his own fleet will fire upon. "I personally find it distasteful to contemplate the horror facing all those on board," he says. At this point, he knows the governor will do anything to save his daughter - including giving up his position as governor of Port Royal. When he asks Governor Swann, "Shall I remove these shackles?" he isn't really asking about the chains. He's basically saying "Are you going to comply with my wishes?"
This also makes us wonder about Beckett's personal opinion of warfare. He says, "Our ships are in pursuit, and justice will be dispensed by cannonade and cutlass, and all manner of remorseless pieces of metal." It is hard to tell his particular reasons for saying this. He may be simply trying to intimidate and strike fear into Governor Swann by putting images of his daughter's death into his head. The phrase "remorseless pieces of metal" may have been intended to illustrate to the governor that, unlike a soldier who may be hesitant to kill a woman, a cannon will show no mercy. Or, perhaps he really does have a distaste for violent warfare. If this is the case, it's very possible that Beckett prefers to "fight" using the mental weapons of intellect and cunning. Maybe it was both - he made the statement to frighten the governor, but it also hinted at his opinion.
Also note that in this scene, we see Beckett with Norrington's old sword. He obviously knows what he's doing and is comfortable holding it. He may have Mercer to do his dirty work, but he does know how to use a sword - we also see in the opening scene that he is a good equestrian, obviously skilled enough to control a horse in a small boat. He doesn't just sit and does nothing in his office.
In the final scene, we see Beckett sitting at his desk. He's obviously bored, and although he's wearing a façade of calmness, his impatience shows through in his tone of voice when he asks, "Is there any news on the chest?" We get several impressions from this. We already know that Beckett wants what he wants and will go far to get it - he is willing to be patient and "watch and wait", so to speak. He is all about control, both self-control and over others, and a mark of his self-control is his aloof and calm attitude. But his patience is running thin. It takes a lot for his temper to flare up enough to let the mask slip - but when this happens, he is not to be trifled with.
When Norrington makes his presence known, Beckett beckons him forward. This gesture says a lot about Beckett. The gesture is commanding, but casual, as if he is used to having such orders obeyed.
In summary? Beckett is all about control - both self-control and control over others. He likes to be dominant individual in a situation. He probably has a lot going on in his brain, but whatever his emotions, he keeps himself aloof and calm. He is intelligent and cunning, and has the ability to read people, making it easy to manipulate them. Personally, I'm a Beckett fan, and I can't wait to see what he does in At World's End. :) My fan-ship being declared, I'll just say that I tried to write this as objectively as possible - I hope it worked!