Test Your Memory With This Pirates Of The Caribbean Quiz
- by Patrick Deslauriers
- – on
- in Movies and TV
These days, it's hard to remember a time without Pirates of the Caribbean. But back in summer 2003, you could show anyone a picture of Jack Sparrow and be met with only quizzical looks and a genuine concern for your well-being. Fast forward a month or two, though, and the quirky, fictional pirate was a household name. And all this because some gutsy people at Disney thought they could make a movie based on a theme park attraction. It turns out they were right.
Gore Verbinski, who directed the first three Pirates films, made something special out of a concept that was, well, "out there" to say the least. In Curse of the Black Pearl he created a swashbuckling adventure that carried its gravitas and levity equally well. The story was serious, somewhat mystical, and pretty dark compared to Disney's usual fare, but that fantastical nature was offset by quick, witty banter and absurd, self-aware humor. The movie jumped between epic, hilarious and downright scary like the most talented of hopscotch players, and it was lovable. Suddenly, everyone wanted to be a pirate. Or at least strongly considered it because it looked like so much fun.
The cast was essential to the success of Pirates. Keira Knightley, who wasn't so well known yet, made a big name for herself playing the dainty lady turned badass that is Elizabeth Swann. Orlando Bloom, fresh off his turn as Legolas, proved he could do even more playing the awkward yet noble Will Turner. Geoffrey Rush compelled us and made us think as the fearsome Barbossa. And Johnny Depp was, of course, iconic as Jack Sparrow. But even the minor characters, from Mr. Gibbs to those two pirates who wear dresses, made their mark on an already memorable cast. Even Zoe Saldana appeared in one of her first film roles! (She was really unhappy that Jack stole her boat.)
Pirates is iconic and well-known now, but do you remember The Curse of the Black Pearl, the series' very first offering? Find out now! This is your opportune moment.
According to Jack, what are the only two rules that really matter?
As one can imagine, pirates don't exactly live by the same moral and legal codes as most other people. They do, however, try to uphold their own personal rules to live by, and Jack Sparrow is no exception. After stealing the Interceptor, Jack and Will embark on their merry way and have some time to kill before they make port. During this time, the two get to talking, and Will gets offended. Jack takes the opportunity to lecture him, and points out that there are only two rules that really matter in the end...
How does Jack react to the hanged pirates?
Jack may be selfish, dastardly, and shameless, but at least he has some sympathy for his fellow man. That is, when the people in question are long-dead pirates strung up like macabre warning flags with the nooses that hung them still around their necks. These poor fellows show up at the very beginning of the film as Jack makes his way into Port Royal harbor and, despite his quickly sinking boat, he affords them some signs of respect as he sails by.
How does Jack win his duel against Will?
The duel between Will and Jack, which happens in the middle of Jack's first escape attempt, stands out as the first time we get some proper swashbuckling in the Pirates series. And, of course, it's glorious. Jack teases Will for his inexperience, talks to him like they're having a fencing lesson, and insults his manhood repeatedly. Will, the stand-up guy that he is, makes every effort to be noble and fair. Despite his swordsmanship and cool as a cucumber attitude, Will still loses to Jack in the end.
According to Jack, what does the Black Pearl represent?
During their time together on the island, Jack and Elizabeth do a lot of bonding. Mainly because they have nobody else to talk to, but the power of long-forgotten rum certainly helps, too. While drinking extensively on the beach, Jack confides in Elizabeth, telling her a bit about the motivations and desires that drive his life as a pirate. In particular, he mentions what ships, specifically the Black Pearl, mean to him. For Jack, they're not just vessels made out of wood and cloth, they have deeper significance.
Where do Will and Jack recruit the rest of the crew?
Jack is quick to praise this town, which is chock-full of scoundrels, miscreants, and all manner of devious and dastardly persons. It's no surprise, then, that Jack decides it's the best place for he and Will to scrounge up a crew for their ship, which is currently severely understaffed. The pair find Gibbs sleeping with some rather large pigs and, after dousing him with several buckets of water and buying him a drink or two, convince him to help recruit an eclectic rabble of crewmen.
What's the name of Barbossa's monkey?
Ah, the monkey. Just about everyone in the film seems to hate this little devil, and vice versa, with the exception of Barbossa. Though they're both equally nasty, Barbossa and his pet have a strong bond. So, strong, in fact, that the monkey can fetch cursed gold medallions on a whim and Barbossa dresses him up in an itty-bitty proper pirate outfit complete with puffy sleeves. They may both be greatly disliked by just about everyone, including Barbossa's own crew, but at least they've got each other.
How many shillings does Jack pay the harbormaster?
Right near the beginning of the movie, we meet Jack for the first time. His ship, er, boat, isn't doing so well as he sails into port. However, he stands confidently as he arrives in the nick of time, raising his foot and stepping onto the dock just as his boat sinks. I don't know about you, but I still practice this stride every time I get off an escalator. Anyway, the harbormaster still asks Jack to pay for docking his boat. Jack does, but also offers the guy some extra money to not pester him further.
What creatures did Jack allegedly use to escape the island?
Though we later discover that Jack didn't escape the deserted island by any incredible means, many stories were fabricated about his escape that made him something of a legend. Gibbs recounts one of these stories, in which Jack is said to have waded out into the water, waited for sea creatures to come to him, and then roped them together to make an impromptu raft. Will, who's present for Gibbs' telling of the tale, asks what Jack used for rope. Jack answers that he used human hair pulled from his back. Not the most sanitary material, but it's better than being marooned.
How does Jack get Elizabeth breathing again?
I have no idea how people survived in historical clothing. In Pirates, we see the well-to-do inhabitants of Port Royal in their finest clothes, which are heavy, cumbersome, and no doubt excruciatingly warm in the Caribbean heat. So it came as no surprise when Elizabeth, clad in her constricting, elaborate dress, fainted while speaking to Norrington. However, she falls off the fort wall into the sea far below. Jack jumps in to save her and employs skilled measures to help her breathe once back onshore.
How many years in the past does the prologue take place?
The movie opens with a prologue that takes place long before the events of the film. In this sequence, Elizabeth, her father, Norrington, and Gibbs are all on a ship making the crossing from England to, presumably, Port Royal. Will is found floating adrift and is brought aboard, unconscious save for a brief introductory word to Elizabeth. Elizabeth discovers and holds onto Will's medallion, which ultimately sets the events of the film into motion years later. The Black Pearl is also seen for the first time, looming ominously through the heavy fog.
The treasure is made up of how many pieces?
After being abducted by Barbossa and the crew of the Black Pearl, Elizabeth has dinner with Barbossa in his quarters. During this time, he tells her about the nature of the medallion she's been holding onto, clarifying that it's but one piece of a much larger, cursed treasure comprised of hundreds of identical pieces. Barbossa tells the tale of how he and his crew, thinking the curse was pure superstition, looted it all and sold it for comforts and pleasures, only to be forced to reunite all the pieces later for a chance at breaking the curse.
According to Norrington, what fate does every pirate deserve?
It's no secret that James Norrington is not a fan of pirates, and the disdain he has for them is made clear in the very first scene of the movie. While on the ship crossing from England, Elizabeth sings a pirate shanty and expresses her admiration of pirates as "exciting" people. Though Gibbs makes some effort to discourage this pirate-positive attitude, Norrington is having none of it. He condemns pirates as complete scum and declares that they all deserve the same fate...
What title does Elizabeth's father hold?
He's dapper. He's a gentleman. He's a strong-willed single dad. And he knows how to treat his daughter right by giving her clothing that exemplifies the latest London fashions with corsets so tight they constrict airways like nobody's business. Weatherby Swann is a big name in the Caribbean, or at least in Port Royal, as he holds a high-class title and thereby functions as a representative of the English crown. He's not always the brightest, but at least his heart is in the right place.
What does Jack promise Anamaria to get her to join the crew?
Jack pisses off a lot of women, but none quite so much as Anamaria. Remember that boat Jack sinks at the beginning of the movie? Turns out it was hers, and she's not exactly pleased that it's at the bottom of Port Royal harbor. She gives Jack some resounding smacks and is ready to give him hell, but Will steps in and promises her a new ship. Jack, caught unawares, plays along and agrees, but isn't thrilled with the significant compensation promised to the wronged lady. Did I mention Anamaria is played by a young Zoe Saldana?
Who wrote the pirate Code?
During the Black Pearl's raid on Port Royal, Elizabeth manages to keep herself alive by invoking the right of parley, which she no doubt learned about by fueling her interest in pirates with all sorts of books and writings on the subject. She gets her wish, and is taken to meet Barbossa aboard the ship. Though Barbossa shows slight disdain for the authority of the Code, he also makes a point of upholding it (with a few loopholes) and is amused by Elizabeth's knowledge. During Elizabeth's insistence that she speak with the ship's captain, she briefly mentions the authors of the legendary Code.
How many hours a day does Will practice with swords?
It turns out that all those long hours spent swinging swords around by his lonesome would come in handy for Will. During his first encounter with Jack, Will boasts that he trains extensively with the blades he makes. Jack, baffled by Will's commitment, suggests that he "find himself a girl" to make better use of his time. Will, proud and noble as always, spits back that he puts in those long hours so that when he finally meets a pirate, he can kill them. Right on cue, he has an opportunity to do just that.
It's said that only what people can find the Isla de Muerta?
It seems like every legendary object or treasure in the Pirates universe has some strange riddle surrounding it. The Isla de Muerta, where the cursed treasure is found, is no exception, as legends claim it can only be found by certain people. Jack, however, is able to cheat his way around this thanks to his compass, which points to whatever he desires most at a given time. It's not the best orienteering tool, but it does help him circumvent this oddly redundant riddle.
To whom was the treasure originally given?
You'd think the parable of King Midas would be enough of a horror story to discourage people from being greedy, but this guy clearly didn't get the memo. During Elizabeth's dinner with him, Barbossa recounts the origins of the treasure, which was originally given by the Aztecs as tribute to slake the greed of a particularly nasty, ruthless conquistador who was determined to destroy them. It turns out the massive chest of gold still wasn't enough for this guy, though, and that was pretty uncool. So uncool, in fact, that the local gods put the curse upon the treasure that still endures into the events of the film.
How long was Jack marooned on the island during his first stay?
Lying on a beach drinking rum isn't a bad way to spend one's time when one is marooned on a deserted island. When they're stranded together, Jack comes clean to Elizabeth, telling her that he spent the vast majority of his time on the island doing just that until he was whisked away by some sympathetic rum runners. Since that wasn't the most heroic or fantastic of tales, various legends about Jack's escape were invented, one of which is the story involving the impromptu raft.
When does Will declare his love for Elizabeth?
It's clear that there's some unspoken thing between Will and Elizabeth even at the beginning of the film, and of course that only develops further as events unfold. They get shot at, stabbed at, thrown in holds, and separated at just about every opportunity, but they both survive to see the closing credits. At some point in the midst of all that chaos, though, Will seizes the opportune moment and confesses his true feelings, hoping to turn the unspoken thing into an actual thing.
What word completes the following quote?
"Perhaps on the rare occasion pursuing the right course demands an act of (blank), (blank) itself can be the right course?" This question is posed by Elizabeth's father to Norrington, as a savvy reaction to his decision to let Jack escape for the time being. Though the other military personnel under Norrington's command are eager to pursue and recapture him immediately, which of course would be the normal way to deal with a fugitive, both Swann and Norrington agree that sometimes it's best to simply let things go. Indeed, something seems to have rubbed off on them during their encounters with the pirates.
Who returns the last medallions and lifts the curse?
Any movie with undead pirates and cursed treasure is bound to get crazy fast, but by the time the denouement of Curse of the Black Pearl gets underway on Isla de Muerta things have turned to full-fledged pandemonium. Battles have broken out between the pirates and the navy on multiple ships, Jack and Barbossa are locked in an endless, immortal duel, and Will and Elizabeth are left to hold back hordes of pirates by themselves. Amidst all this, the final pieces of the treasure are returned, with Will's blood acting as the curse-breaking catalyst.
What food item is NOT part of the feast laid out for Elizabeth?
During her time aboard the Black Pearl, Elizabeth is invited to dine with Barbossa. Though she's hesitant, Barbossa ensures her attendance by making her alternative dining with the rest of the crew in the nude. Sure enough, she shows up, and she's rewarded with one of the most spectacular spreads this side of the Caribbean, featuring all sorts of meats, fruit, and beverages. Famished, she chows down with gusto, and Barbossa relishes seeing her delight in the food, something which he's been unable to do for years due to the effects of the curse.
What's the final line of the film?
The film's final scene shows Jack aboard the Black Pearl, fresh off his escape from Norrington and co. Jack is finally a real captain again (though he always insisted otherwise) and is free to travel wherever his heart desires along with the rest of the crew. Jack stands at the wheel, singing and looking to his compass for answers until it at last settles on a destination. With a satisfied grin on his face, Jack utters the film's final line, an excerpt from the sea shanty he's been singing, and closes his compass, ready to embark on a new adventure.
For what occasion is Norrington's new sword crafted?
After being fished out of the water and brought to Port Royal on the same ship as Elizabeth, Will finds work as an apprentice to Mr. Brown, the local blacksmith. We later discover that Will is in fact the real blacksmith, as his master is often inebriated well beyond the ability to handle a hot forge. Will brings a fine example of his work to Elizabeth's father near the beginning of the film. Mr. Swann is visibly impressed with the blade, which will be presented to Norrington that same day for a special occasion.