DEMOCRATIC OUTLAWS ? Pirates, the outlaws of the sea. If like me, the first idea that comes to mind regardingpirates is a group of raiding and plundering individuals. This is due to todays society glamorizingthe pirates as fascinating characters. Historically, not much written information has been leftbehind. The pirates did not leave ship logs or accounts of plunders, because it could be used toincriminate them. Society today has invented the pirates to fit a romantic mold. Therefore, wegrew up thinking of treasure hunts, sea battles, sword fights and plank walkers, when in actualitythe pirates of old were loathed by society. During the Golden Age of Piracy, during the 17th and18th centuries, pirates were regarded as common criminals of the seas without thought todemocracy/justice or civility. In short, the pirates had no decency. However, is there some truthto the glamorized legends? Could the legendary characters have upheld the same ideals? In thecourse of the semester, we have learned some of the truths behind the glamorized pirate facade. Throughout life I have seen that good is more often than not overshadowed by bad. I decided togive these characters the benefit of the doubt and do some investigating. In this essay, I willattempt to prove that human decency among the pirates could have existed.Civility is one trait rarely associated with pirates. Why should civility be associated as atrait of pirates? After all, pirates raid, plunder, steal, rape, drink and swear. Civilized people donot participate in lowly, unlawful behavior. Pirates were know to be excessive drunks, ruthless killers, indulgers of women and unruly individuals. In defense of pirate civility, I must point outa few examples. Lord Byrons The Corsair is an excellent example of pirate decency. Conrad,Byrons hero and captain of a pirate crew, shows remarkable civility for a pirate. While TheCorsair is a fictional...
