Author(s): Brooklyn Hibshman
Mentor(s): Jared Colton
Institution USU
The research question for my presentation is: How does power impact Elizabeth Swann’s rhetorical success in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End? To address this question, I will draw from the works of rhetorical theorists Timothy Burchers, Heather Hundley, and Michel Foucault. In sum, Elizabeth’s rhetoric is unsuccessful because she appeals to the wrong power dynamic. However, as she recognizes and adapts to different discursive formations, the effectiveness of her rhetoric greatly increases I will apply Foucault’s theory of discursive practices, which describes how to analyze the rules and roles of discourse. Because Elizabeth comes from an aristocratic culture and is then thrown into the pirate life, I will analyze the function of power in an aristocratic versus pirate culture. Specifically for this presentation, I will show that power is a negotiation that relies on cultural rules and roles that are often unstated. Elizabeth’s failure to recognize what is appropriate and valid in pirate culture, in addition to her position in that culture, halts her rhetorical success. Elizabeth’s power negotiations are initially unsuccessful because she appeals to the wrong power dynamic and culture. She appeals to pirates as she would appeal to soldiers, failing to recognize the values of and her role in pirate society. Yet later in the film, Elizabeth gains a new role and begins adjusting her rhetoric accordingly, allowing moderate success. As captain, she is able to exercise massive amounts of power compared to her original position, giving her a more influential role. She also begins appealing to pirate values she herself did not originally believe in. As king, she combines her role and the values of her subjects to successfully negotiate her power in pirate society. Taking into consideration the suspension of disbelief involved in Elizabeth’s rhetoric, such as recognizing her role as a woman in 18th-century society and the base values of her rhetorical appeals, I will nevertheless make the case that Pirates of the Caribbean effectively demonstrates how power and discourse function. Sources: “Methods.” The History of Sexuality Volume 1, an Introduction, by Michel Foucault, Vintage Books, 1980, pp. 93–97. Borchers, Timothy, and Heather Hundley. Rhetorical Theory: An Introduction. Available from: Utah State University, (2nd Edition). Waveland Press, Inc., 2018.