44 Master and Commander Trivia Questions & Answers

Answer: Frigate

Although her Captain, Jack Aubrey, says she is in her prime, the Surprise was actually almost out of date. In the British navy of 1805 (the year in which the film is set) heavier frigates were the norm. For example, there were a number of 38 gun frigates (fifth rates) crewed by nearly 300 men (compared with HMS Surprise's 197 on board). The 28 gun frigate, classed as a sixth rate, was perhaps the oldest type of frigate in service at the time.

Answer: Napolean Bonaparte

You've probably heard of Napolean Bonaparte. You might already know he was born on the island of Corsica. You might not know that he changed his name from Napoleone di Buonaparte. At the time of his birth, Corsica belonged to the Republic of Genoa (in Italy). A year later, France gained possession of the island. Napoleone di Buonaparte later changed his name to Napolean Bonaparte, a more French sounding name. He rose to the rank of general in the French Army prior to the Revolution, served the Republic as First Counsel, and in 1804, crowned himself Emperor.

Although Britain had a powerful navy in 1805, France and her allies controlled the majority of continental Europe.

King George III became king of Great Britain in 1760. He died in 1820. He was plagued with mental illness the latter part of his life and, beginning in 1811, the Prince of Wales acted as Regent for the remainder of his father's life. We in the U.S.A. might remember George III best as the man from whom we won our independence.

Admiral Horatio Nelson was Britain's most honored naval officer of the time. He was referenced several times during the movie. Lord Nelson died in October, 1805 at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón, generally referred to as Santa Anna, was a Mexican political and military leader. Napoleon proclaimed himself Emperor of France. Santa Anna proclaimed himself "The Napoleon of the West".

Answer: Britain and France

This period, from the late 1793 to Napoleon's defeat in 1815, has proved to be very popular with writers of naval fiction. The most well known is perhaps C.S. Forester, who created the character Horatio Hornblower, brought to the screen by Gregory Peck and latterly to the small screen by Ioan Gruffydd. But Patrick O'Brian, who wrote the books "Master and Commander" and "The Far Side of the World" among 18 others, has surpassed them all. Not only does he describe ship actions between the British and French Navies but also between other nations who were taking advantage of the turbulent times.

Answer: off the coast of Brazil

The action throughout the movie takes place along both coasts of Brazil, and in the Galapagos Islands.

Answer: Midshipman Calamy

Mr Hollom is officer of the watch, but he hesitates. The matter is taken out of his hands by the more decisive Calamy. In smaller ships like the Surprise, with few lieutenants, midshipmen would routinely take their turn as officer of the watch to ensure the ship could be adequately managed around the clock.

Answer: Jack Aubrey

Jack Aubrey was Captain of the British frigate in the movie. The nickname "Lucky Jack" was a result of Captain Aubrey's propensity to be in the right place at the right time, to win battles and, if necessary, narrowly escape disaster. It wasn't all luck, as he was an excellent seaman and an inspirational commander.

Captain Jack Sparrow was another fictional sea captain you might know from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies.

Acheron was the name of the French privateer Lucky Jack was sent to stop.

Jackson Scholz, the New York Thunderbolt, was an American Olympic sprinter in the early 1900s. You might remember him racing Harold Abrahams in the movie "Chariots of Fire".

Answer: HMS Surprise

HMS Surprise (her name is shown on screen right at the beginning of the film, together with the numbers of her guns and crew) was a real-life ship. Originally L'Unite of the French Navy she was captured and brought into service with the Royal Navy - a common event for both navies at the time. The other three ships mentioned are also historical, the line-of-battle ships Victory and Bellerophon ("Billy Ruffian") being at the Battle of Trafalgar and the frigate Indefatigable being the ship upon which Horatio Hornblower supposedly served.

Answer: A seaman on watch duty

He didn't actually see a sail, but did call the fog bank to Mr. Hollom's attention, as he thought that he head something, "like a bell." Ships used bells to announce the time.

Answer: A book

The book is titled 'The Life of the Right Honourable Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson, Gallant British Hero'. Nelson himself had lost an arm in combat and no doubt Aubrey feels this example will encourage Blakeney.

Answer: Jonah, because he brought bad luck to the ship

We would be hard pressed to find a group of people more superstitious than sailors in the age of sail. Poor Mr. Hollom didn't seem to have what it took to be an officer, having failed to pass the test several times. His attempts to get the crew to like him only backfired, resulting in a lack of respect for his authority. It seemed to the crew that any time anything bad happened on the ship, Mr. Hollom was on watch. Eventually, even Hollom believed the superstition, and took his own life in order to save the ship.

Answer: Lucky Jack.

Captain "Lucky" Jack Aubrey was so-called because of his ability to find ships to capture. These were called "prizes", and the money the Admiralty paid to buy it into the Navy (if a warship) or from the sale of the cargo (if a merchantman) was shared between the Admiral in command (if any), the Captain, officers and crew. Prize money could enable a seaman to retire and set up in a shore-based business. "Black Jack" was the nickname of US Army General John J. Pershing, "yellow jack" is a viral disease properly called yellow fever, and "Jack in the Green" is a character appearing in May Day parades and celebrations.

Answer: "beat to quarters"

The signal was a snare drum, played by one of the marines, which always accompanied Her Majesty's ships.

Answer: None - she's a privateer

A privateer was, in effect, a private warship. The Acheron is operating under a letter of marque (a licence) from the French Government. She is at liberty to attack naval or commercial vessels belonging to France's enemies.

Answer: HMS Surprise

We were told the name of the ship at the beginning of the movie. It was mentioned again at the conclusion of the Captain's pep talk prior to luring the Acheron into their trap. Lucky Jack reminded his crew with a play on words that "Surprise is on our side."

Nelson was the name of the highly revered Admiral who commanded the British fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar. Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar was the HMS Victory.

The USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) was a U.S. Navy frigate.

Both the HMS Victory and the USS Constitution are still in service and can be toured in London and Boston, respectively. The Constitution was used by the special effects crew of this movie, as a model for the French Privateer ship, the Acheron.

Answer: Stephen Maturin

Esteban Maturin y Domanova, to give him his full name, is the illegitimate son of an Irish officer and a Catalan lady. He marries Diana, cousin to Jack's wife Sophie.

Answer: hold fast

Although I couldn't be sure why he had this tattooed across his middle eight fingers, it might be surmised that "hold fast" is translatable to "hold on tightly" (as it was very easy to wash overboard, or "stay strong," since Plaice does show the tattoo to Blakeney during the height of the first encounter with the "Acheron."

Answer: His wife's second cousin

Based on Warley's knowledge, his friend, Nagle (carpenter's mate), makes a scale model of the Acheron for Captain Aubrey. When they present the model to the Captain, Nagle explains that Warley was married in Boston and saw the ship under construction due to his wife's second cousin working in the dockyard.

The two men are rewarded for their initiative with an extra grog ration. Examining Nagle's model, Aubrey discovers that the Acheron has innovative planking and thick timbers which make it hard for the smaller Surprise to inflict significant damage on her hull.

Answer: His arm

Blakeney's arm had to be amputated due to wounds received in battle. There are many who are under the impression that 19th century surgeons tended to be too quick to amputate rather than try to save an injured limb. However, the theory that germs caused disease didn't take hold until the latter half of that century, and the development of antibiotics was still almost a century away from that. Without a doubt, most amputees would have died from sepsis had the affected limb not been quickly removed.

In a moving scene from the movie, the Captain came to check on the welfare of the midshipman, who was the son of an old friend. The Captain presented Blakeney with a book, a biography of Lord Nelson. The boy opened the book to see a portrait of England's greatest sailor with his empty sleeve pinned to the breast of his coat.

The midshipman in question was played by actor Max Pirkis, whom you might also remember as young Ocatvian from the first season of "Rome", a joint production of HBO and BBC. I could hardly believe he had grown so much in such a short period.

As for losing ones marbles, that's another quiz for another movie.

Answer: Violin (Aubrey), cello (Maturin)

Both actors learned to play their instruments to give a realistic performance on screen. Paul Bettany is on record as having said "the cello makes an awful sound, like trying to climb inside a squirrel".

Answer: a new mast

Ships in these days were used to getting blown apart, whether by nature or enemy ships, and would carry lumber and parts with which to refit at sea. Crews were often so efficient that they could have a badly damamged ship up and running in a day.

Answer: Brazil

Despite his officers' expectation that the ship will return to England to refit, Aubrey decides to put in to the coast of Brazil and carry out the necessary repairs. This choice allows the Surprise to save time and ultimately to catch up with the Acheron. Dr Maturin's knowledge of languages enables him to communicate with local Portuguese speakers. (In Patrick O'Brian's books, on which the film is based, Dr Maturin leads a double life as a naval surgeon and multi-lingual British spy.)

Answer: Acheron

Aubrey sees her name on the stern through his telescope, as she circles for the kill, before Surprise escapes into the fog. She is a French frigate, larger than the Surprise and carrying guns which fire heavier cannonballs. That's why she causes so much damage to the Surprise and why, later in the film, Aubrey has to get close enough to board her. The other three ships fought at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Answer: a privateer

Privateers would receive a written affadavit from the government under which her owner operated, that said that the ship could prey upon any enemy of her country, and "sink, burn, or take her a prize." Prize money would then be distributed in a heirarchial order: the government, the captain, the officers, and the crew.

Answer: Captain Howard

Captain Howard, who commanded the detachment of Marines on the HMS Surprise, was attempting to shoot a bird flying close to the ship. He accidentally shot the doctor, who was trying to get a closer look at the bird.

It was a common practice for marksmen (usually marines) to be stationed in the higher parts of the ship during battle so when two enemy ships closed on one another, the marksmen could fire down onto the decks of the enemy ship. This was how Admiral Nelson was killed at Trafalgar.

Answer: Padeen, his servant

Padeen Colman is Stephen Maturin's servant, an Irishman who speaks little English (which I suppose is why his is a non-speaking role). He is also a "loblolly boy" i.e. one who assists the ship's surgeon in his work. He was played by John "Big John" DeSantis, a Canadian actor hailing from Nanaimo, British Columbia, and standing at 6'9" (2.06m).