Master and Commander Quiz for Experts | Movies

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Although her Captain, Jack Aubrey, says she is in her prime, the Surprise was actually almost out of date.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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 'May I trouble you for the salt?'

This remark is from the first anecdote Aubrey tells. In his second anecdote, he quotes Nelson as refusing a cloak on a cold night, saying that his 'zeal for King and country kept him warm'.

Lord Nelson's often-quoted view on tactics ('just go straight at 'em') is mentioned by Lieutenant Pullings.

'England expects that every man will do his duty' was the signal sent by Nelson from his flagship (HMS Victory) at the start of the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. As the action of the film commences in April 1805 this would not be familiar to the officers of the Surprise.

Answer: He has 'a wonderfully true voice'.

Dr Maturin makes this observation. Captain Aubrey is more concerned with Hollom's deficiencies as an officer. Members of the crew have little respect for Hollom and regard him as a Jonah figure, bringing bad luck on the ship.

Midshipmen were the lowest ranked officers in the British navy. Generally entering the service in their early teens, they would hope to pass their exam for Lieutenant and subsequently be promoted to that rank by their late teens or early 20s if they were fortunate. Still a midshipman at 29 years old, Mr Hollom has been passed over due to a lack of ability or of influence.

Answer: Yes

Aubrey tells his midshipmen that Mr Pullings was a 'sniveling midshipman' himself at the Battle of the Nile. Aubrey had been a young lieutenant.

Answer: He has a pudding made in the shape of a map of the islands.

Aubrey serves slices of the islands to his officers, while helping himself to a small model of the Acheron. Boiled or steamed puddings such as 'spotted dick', a suet pudding, were often served onboard ship to both officers and crew. They were a practical way of preparing the rations of flour and suet (animal fat).

Recipes for British puddings, including Spotted Dick (or its variant, Spotted Dog) can be found online.

Answer: Cricket

The Surprise puts in at the Galapagos Islands so that Higgins, Dr Maturin's assistant, can operate on the doctor, who has been injured, on dry land. (The doctor ultimately performs the operation himself.) While the crew brew alcohol and play cricket, Dr Maturin, his servant Padeen, and Midshipman Blakeney investigate the islands' flora and fauna.

Answer: When Captain Howard of the Royal Marines fires at an albatross and misses

Captain Howard is the marine officer on board Surprise. While firing at an albatross, an act many sailors would have considered likely to bring bad luck on the ship, he hits Dr Maturin instead.

The Royal Marines were formed in 1664 as sea-going infantry. In addition to their role in battle, the marines served a disciplinary purpose. As they lived slightly apart from the seamen (despite the cramped quarters) and under the command of their own officer, they could generally be relied on to assist in preventing or suppressing mutiny.

Answer: Padeen Colman

Padeen is deeply loyal to the doctor, who is the only person on board with whom he can communicate effectively (the doctor also speaks Gaelic). Plaice is the seaman into whose skull Maturin drills (trepanning) to reduce pressure after a head injury, to the general entertainment of Surprise's crew. Preserved Killick is Jack's ill-tempered steward, Barret Bonden his coxswain.

Answer: Phasmida

The name Phasmatodea or Phasmida comes from the Classical Greek word for a phantom. Dr Maturin shows live examples of stick insects (a type of phasmid) to Midshipman Blakeney, as well as lending him a book on the subject. Blakeney develops an interest in natural history during the course of the film and becomes quite adept at drawing insects despite the loss of his right arm early in the action. Captain Aubrey is inspired by the phasmids to use a disguise to lure the Acheron close to Surprise. The Acheron's captain is led to believe the frigate is a whaler and therefore a valuable prize.

Hymenoptera include wasps, bees and ants. Diptera include 'true' flies, mosquitos and midges. Lepidoptera are moths and butterflies.

Answer: Maturin

Throughout the film and in the course of Patrick O'Brian's remarkable series of books, Dr Maturin's passion for natural philosophy causes tension between him and his friend and commanding officer, Aubrey. The demands of naval service rarely leave enough time for Maturin's pursuit of scientific knowledge and he comes to loathe the standard naval injunction to 'lose not a moment'.