pirates of penzance essays

pirates of penzance essays The Act starts with the Pirates of Penzance celebrating the promotion of Frederic, a Pirate apprentice, to full pirate status. Unfortunately he was never supposed to become a Pirate, and feels duty-bound to return to a crimeless life at the end of his indentures. He vows to hunt down the pirates, as is his duty, but he is also obliged to inform the pirates where they are going wrong before he leaves the band. The main problem is that the Pirates are all orphans, and as such they always pity other orphans and let them go unmolested. They also never attack weaker, or smaller groups than them, this tends to mean that they are either driven off or the captive declares themselves orphans and is thus released. Despite Frederic's vow to hunt down his formerly beloved companions, the Pirate King is unrepentant declaring that it is "...better far to live and die, under the brave black flag I fly, than play a sanctimonious part...". The Pirates leave and Frederic is left with his childhood companion, Ruth. It is upon the arrival of the daughters of Major-General Stanley that he finds out that Ruth has been false and is not beautiful. He asks if any of the maidens will marry him and thus help him onto the straight and narrow; and one maiden named Mabel will. The Pirates return and capture the maidens. They intend to marry them all, but they are thwarted by the arrival of the Major General who lies and says he is an Orphan. This touches the hearts of the Pirates who release the maidens, and declare them all honorary Pirates. Frederic and Mabel are to be wed, the Pirates have released the daughters and everyone is relatively happy - except poor Ruth, who is spurned by Frederic for her deceit. In the chapel housing the tombs of his ancestors, General Stanley is seeking pardon for lying about the vitality of his parents. His daughters are trying to console him with little success, even Frederic's plan to march on the pirates that very n...