Cutler Beckett - Character Personality and Symbolism

Character Personality and Symbolism

Cutler Beckett is a character portrayed as highly ruthless to those around him, and displays a willingness to use others in order to gain power and wealth, or to destroy anyone or anything that proves to be an obstacle. Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, James Norrington, Davy Jones and Weatherby Swann are examples of people he has manipulated. Throughout the series, Beckett is a skilled manipulator and strategist (not unlike his nemesis Jack), and unlike Davy Jones, he presents himself in a haughty, cultured and sophisticated manner, drinking tea on board his ship, the Endeavour, before going into battle. In contrast to the honorable Norrington, Beckett is a cruel and remorseless man, mercilessly using brutal measures against the defenseless for his purposes. He is written to show disregard for both human life and civil liberties, willing to execute innocents en masse (including children), not only to provoke the Brethren Court to battle, but also to instill terror and therefore civil obedience. He has displayed Machiavellian tendencies in regards to his connections with others, an example being his lack of concern for the deal he made with Jack Sparrow when it no longer served his interests, stating "It's nothing personal, Jack - it's just good business" when he is about to destroy the Black Pearl. According to the Pirates of the Caribbean: Visual Guide, the toy soldiers and battle ships atop Beckett's desk are "cunningly disguised torture devices", showing the kind of control he wishes to exert over the world.

Beckett and his Company are symbolism for the "shrinking" of the world. Indeed, the main theme of the Pirates of the Caribbean films is the upcoming of industrialization and imperialism (e.g. the United Kingdom's actual Honourable East India Company and Imperialism) and showing how the "Pirates" are dealing with it—producers of the series have constantly expressed this. In the script for At World's End, Beckett states, "The Brethren know they face extinction. All that remains is for them to decide where they make their final stand." The series often emphasizes pirate freedom as well, the character Jack Sparrow being the prime example. The character Lord Beckett, however, is intent on exterminating the pirates and dominating the seas in order to increase and stabilize trade. Beckett's lines are written to further stress his obsession with maintaining control by eradicating piracy and "freedom".

As shown in the confrontation scene between Elizabeth and Beckett, the latter seems to know what had been happening during the year prior to his arrival. He states (when Elizabeth warns him that the compass would only lead to his own demise): "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. But you mustn't worry: I care not for cursed Aztec gold, my desires are not so provincial. There's more than one chest of value in these waters…So perhaps you may wish to enhance your offer.". This indicates that he was aware of the Chest of Cortes, Captain Barbossa, and Jack's struggle with the latter to attain his ship back.