Everything about James Norrington totally explained
James Norrington is a
fictional character in
Disney's
Pirates of the Caribbean film trilogy. He is played by English actor
Jack Davenport.
Character history
According to the writers' audio commentary from the
Curse of the Black Pearl DVD, Norrington was originally written as an evil character who was going to join forces with
Hector Barbossa.
In an interview, producer
Jerry Bruckheimer stated that Norrington was originally slated to only appear in the first film only, but partially because of the positive audience reaction towards the character, and his respect for Davenport, he decided to make him a prominent character in the sequel. The casting of Davenport came in part from his father,
Nigel, being a major character in the 1960s pirate film
A High Wind in Jamaica, which both Bruckheimer and director
Gore Verbinski enjoyed.
Appearance
According to the
Essential Guide to Pirates of the Caribbean, Norrington is feared among pirates for his leadership skills and his swordsman abilities. And according to the audio commentary from the first Pirates of the Caribbean DVD featuring the scriptwriters, Norrington's swordsmanship is equaled only by Hector Barbossa and surpassed only by Will Turner. At the first film's climax he personally duels the pirate Kohler and kills him after the curse is lifted. In
Dead Man's Chest and
At World's End, however, the statistics seem to have changed slightly (probably due to his disgrace): he participates in a three-way duel between himself,
Will Turner and
Jack Sparrow. Even though Will is arguably more skilled, Norrington knocks Will down twice which clearly demonstrated he still retained his skill, although he himself is knocked over twice during the battle by Sparrow. In the end, Norrington is murdered by
Bootstrap Bill Turner just as he returns attention from shooting Elizabeth's line, (in order to ensure her safety), back to
Bootstrap Bill Turner.
Sword
Norrington's sword is used as a recurring plot device throughout the films, and was said to have a "bit of destiny" about it by screenplay writer Terry Rossio. It was forged by Will Turner, who then gives it to
Governor Weatherby Swann in the opening scenes of
Black Pearl, for presentation to Norrington for his promotion to Commodore. At the end of the first film, Norrington uses the sword to express his feelings about Elizabeth and Will, despite him being in love with Elizabeth as well. He remarks to Will that, "This is a beautiful sword. I expect the man who made it to show the same care and devotion in every aspect of his life."
In
Dead Man's Chest, the sword rests in Norrington's old office after he resigns his commission for losing the Dauntless while pursuing Sparrow, and is a painful symbol to Norrington of his once successful career when he falls to piracy.
Finally, in
At World's End, Admiral Norrington receives an 'old friend' from Lord Beckett. Reunited with his old blade, Norrington holds it as he helps Elizabeth escape from the
Flying Dutchman. He is fatally stabbed by Bootstrap Bill Turner. In defiance of
Davy Jones' offer of servitude, Norrington spears Jones' shoulder with the sword. Jones removes it and takes it for himself. In the final battle, Jones regains the sword from a British Marine who has come across it, before Jack knocks the blade from Jones' hand - only for Jones to recover it and fatally use it to stab Will, ironically the very man who forged it.
Fictional biography
Early life
Norrington appears in the the book, Jack Sparrow,10, Sins of the Father. He is about six or seven years old, and trailing after his father, Admiral Lawrence Norrington, who is Captain of a ship in the
Royal Navy. He is later seen as a
Lieutenant aboard HMS
Dauntless when it transports new Governor Swann and his young daughter
Elizabeth Swann to Port Royal in the Caribbean. During the voyage, he expresses his views about pirates to Elizabeth, saying that they all deserve a "short drop and a sudden stop," a metaphor for hanging.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
In the first film, Norrington is introduced as a
Lieutenant on
HMS Dauntless as it makes a crossing from
England to deliver the new governor to Port Royal. Over the next eight years, he becomes an established figure in
Port Royal and rises to the rank of
Captain. At the start of the movie proper, he's to be promoted to
Commodore and according to Norrington, the only thing lacking in his life is marriage. He proposes to Governor Swann's beautiful daughter, Elizabeth Swann at his promotion ceremony, but he's interrupted when she faints and falls off the rampart wall into the bay. Elizabeth meanwhile, secretly harbors deep feelings for
Will Turner, a slightly foolish young blacksmith's apprentice. Norrington opposes her attachment to Turner, but he later helps them and Captain Sparrow in their fight against Captain Barbossa and his evil
pirates. In the end, he stands aside and accepts Elizabeth Swann's decision to be with Will Turner.
Norrington's personality initially seems rigid, even slightly bigheaded. However, it becomes apparent that he's a kind and compassionate man who eventually comes to discern between what is lawful and what is right. When Will halts Jack Sparrow's execution, Norrington is hesitant to resume, believing it's unjust. However, he unwittingly provides the wily pirate an escape avenue when Jack Sparrow falls off the rampart and is rescued by his crew. Reluctantly intending to give chase, James Norrington allows Jack Sparrow one day's head start.
It is important to note that Norrington is a character who isn't driven solely by his own goals or needs. This is best demonstrated when he tells Jack Sparrow that he's able to forfeit the fame and prestige to be gained by capturing the
Black Pearl, "by remembering that I serve
others, Mr. Sparrow, not only
myself."
According to the screenwriter's commentary, Norrington is a highly skilled swordsman, his skills equal to those of Captain Barbossa and exceeded only by William Turner.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
In the second film, Lord
Cutler Beckett has issued an arrest warrant for James Norrington's part in Jack Sparrow's escape, but he's disappeared. While unsuccessfully pursuing Captain Jack Sparrow, his ship fell victim to a violent hurricane in a costly gamble that destroyed not only his ship, but his career and reputation as well. Disgraced, he chooses to resign his commission because of the damage his obsession to capture the Pirate Captain had done. He resurfaces in Tortuga when he applies for a position on the
Black Pearl, although he also attempts to shoot Jack. Upon his reappearance, he's descended into a ragged, drunken, bitter man, who schemes to regain his honor and seek vengeance against Jack Sparrow and (later) Will Turner, whom he blames for ruining his life. Being a stark contrast to the man of honor from the first film, Norrington is portrayed as being just as selfish and underhanded as Jack or any other pirate. He also suspects that Elizabeth now prefers Jack over Will, because he saw the true love between Jack and her.
On
Isla Cruces, where the Dead Man's Chest is buried, Norrington accompanies Jack and Elizabeth to dig up the chest, shortly after which he becomes entangled in a three-way battle with a recently-escaped Will Turner and Jack in a bid to capture Davy Jones' heart. Norrington plots to regain his career by taking the heart to Lord Cutler Beckett, who wants it to control the seas. Jack obtains the heart, but when they're attacked by Davy Jones' crewmen, Norrington steals it. Stuffing it into his coat, he grabs the now-empty chest, and deviously feigning he's sacrificing himself in a ploy to divert Davy Jones' crewmen away from the others, flees (and in fact, regardless of whether the heart is still in the chest or not, he actually does risk his life in drawing the crewmen's attention to himself). Jack believes the heart is still hidden in the longboat, but in fact, Norrington has actually absconded with the heart and the
Letter of Marque that grants the bearer clemency.
Norrington relinquishes the now-empty chest to Davy Jones's crew who, believing they've retrieved the heart, let him escape. He reappears in Port Royal, having been found adrift by an
East India Trading Company ship. To win back his honor and career, he presents himself and the Letters of Marque to Lord Cutler Beckett. Beckett says that if he expects the Letters to be certified, he must have something to bargain with. Norrington tosses a small pulsating bag onto Beckett's desk and declares it, "The heart of Davy Jones".
In a deleted scene from the movie, Norrington asks Beckett if the heart is enough to restart his career. Beckett declines, claiming that he's something much better in store for Norrington.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
In the third film, Norrington has a minor role, appearing in only four sequences. Upon delivering the heart of Davy Jones to Cutler Beckett, he's been promoted to Admiral of the East India Trading Company.
He sails on the Flying Dutchman with Davy Jones, where he meets Elizabeth Swann again after she and the crew of the Empress are captured. He is overjoyed to see her, thinking she was dead, though Elizabeth is angry with him as she believes he knew of her father's death. Unknowing of Weatherby Swann's murder at the hands of the East India Trading Company (he was told that Weatherby returned to England), he denies any knowledge, though she still refuses to talk to him, associating him now with the side that killed her father. That night, Norrington decides to help Elizabeth and her crew escape. He lets them loose from the ship's brig and watches as they clamber across a tow line back to the Empress. Elizabeth is the last to leave, and asks Norrington why he's letting them free. He replies that he's now chosen his side, though he knows this doesn't absolve him of his other sins, such as betraying her, Will and Sparrow on Isla Cruces for his own goals.
She implores him to come with her, so that he might escape too. He replies that he will, but she doesn't believe him. He kisses her goodbye, telling her that their two lives have always been intertwined, but never joined (meaning that they were never together in any way), showing that deep down inside he still loves her, and always has. Elizabeth climbs onto the line as a deranged Bootstrap Bill Turner discovers the prisoners escape. Norrington quickly makes the choice to stay behind and shoot down the line, guaranteeing Elizabeth's escape rather than attempting to defend himself and risk them getting caught, and Norrington is impaled by Bootstrap. Elizabeth watches from the ocean and screams in horror, and appears to be crying. Davy Jones' crew appears, obviously knowing that Bootstrap is responsible for Norrington's imminent death. Jones himself then appears. He offers the dying James Norrington a place in his crew, but Norrington responds by defiantly stabbing Jones through the shoulder with the sword Will gave him in
Curse of the Black Pearl before passing away.
Norrington had a somewhat larger role in earlier drafts of the script, including developing a sort of friendship with Jones, due to their mutual dislike of working for Beckett (this might explain why Jones offers him a place in his crew before he dies). At least one cut scene with him appears to have been filmed: where he dissuades Governor Swann from stabbing the heart of Davy Jones, after Jones tells Swann that Elizabeth is dead. Stills from the scene exist, but it wasn't included on the DVD release.
Merchandise
Action Figure
N.E.C.A. is making James into an Action Figure in Series three of the Series. He is in the stance of when he's about to shoot Jack Sparrow and includes a pistol, a hat, as well as a sword, though he isn't wearing his wig.
Zizzle has made two action figures of him, one from the second film, in his "renegade" garb, and one from the third film, in his Admiral's uniform.
Playset
Playsets for At World's End depicting the Singapore Escape scene show Admiral Norrington fighting
Sao Feng and stealing the map to Davy Jones' locker. The description says that during the opening sequence in Singapore, the East India Trading Company shows up, and a battle erupts on the docks with a lot of fireworks. The playset merchandise is due for release June first.
Other media
- He is briefly mentioned in Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts II; When Sora inspects the cannons at the fort in Port Royal, the message says "To be used in case of pirate attack - Commodore Norrington."
Further Information
Get more info on 'James Norrington'.
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