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The female characters that make up the world of the pirate drama Black Sails are unarguably strong, fierce, and relentless. The world they live in and ultimately need to adapt to is filled [I think “littered” is not strong enough and makes it seem that these events are minor adendums to the script] with murder, rape, betrayal, and deception. They know what and with whom they’re dealing with; they’re clever, and more often than not, far more clever than the men. Whether they’re dealing with business matters - running a brothel or scoring some serious loot - they all fall prey to the circumstances that surround them regardless of how strong they may be. [these two sentences juxtapose your ideas - firstly you are saying that they are too smart but then say that they fall prey to circumstance??] The first two seasons of Black Sails have audiences accustomed to seeing these women seize power, have it taken from them, or watch them rise from nothing and ease into the greatness they’ve only dreamed of. So what’s in store for business-savvy Eleanor Guthrie (Hannah New), brothel-running Max (Jessica Parker Kennedy), and ruthless lady pirate Anne Bonny (Clara Paget)?

Eleanor Guthrie is an intriguing character on Black Sails. For the majority of the first and second season, she runs Nassau’s supplies and business dealings strictly and tightly, commanding a good deal of respect from most of the pirates and their captains. Many attribute her influence and power as a direct line from her father, Nassau Governor Richard Guthrie (Sean Cameron Michael). There is a good deal of truth to that, but most of the time Eleanor is running Nassau devoid of her father’s aid, and even rebelling against his wishes and orders. However, many resent her for her power and her father’s influence, along with her ability to punish those who don’t follow the rules, like her on-off lover, the fierce pirate Captain Charles Vane (Zach McGowan). There’s a fear there, even more potently felt because she is a woman. By season two’s finale, we see Eleanor delivered by Captain Benjamin Hornigold (Patrick Lyster) and Dufresne (Roland Reed) to English authorities, as they’re unable to deliver who they really want: Captain Flint (Toby Stephens). Dufresne and Hornigold don’t just gain immunity from their piracy for delivering Eleanor; they’re taking down a pivotal, power player and her vision for stability in a land ruled by tumult and uncertainty. Eleanor is headed for the gallows at this point, her fate in up in the air. It’s possible viewers will see “Vane’s potential rage at Hornigold for turning her in…and it would drive [the] story if Vane went off on a mission to rescue her” (TS Rhodes, DenofGeek.us).

Max knows how to take advantage of any given situation. She goes from being a disgraced prostitute to brothel madame to essentially taking over Eleanor’s duties once she’s handed over to authorities. Not bad for someone quietly lurking in the background, cashing in on vital bits of gossip and intel that float around the brothel in Nassau. And as a prostitute, she’s good at luring just the right people to her bed. When it comes to Eleanor, it’s possible that Max’s heart is in it; but with Rackham (Toby Schmitz) and Anne Bonny, Max knows it’s a power game involving emotional manipulation. As she ends up bringing both to her bed, managing to separate two devoted companions, as Rackham leaves Bonny off his crew but keeps Max in the game. Max has even managed to team up with a more manipulative partner than she: John Silver (Luke Arnold). Now, with John Silver’s intel, resulting in Rackham and Bonny’s successful retrieval of the Spanish gold, Max is sitting pretty. She “will get her share [of the Spanish gold], and now she owns a powerful lot of island business” (TS Rhodes, DenofGeek.us). However, she and her accomplices need to remember that Vane and Flint won’t stand for the mind games, and they’re going to want their share (if not all) of that gold.

Anne Bonny is dangerous. She’s the only female on an all-male pirate crew, and she can hold her own. More than anything, Anne is a fighter, and has killed more men than she can count protecting her companion Rackham. But as devoted and connected as Anne and Rackham seem to be, when promised his own crew through Max’s machinations, he leaves Anne in his wake. Once betrayed, Anne loses something that quietly grounded her. The inner storms brewing within her that she’s always managed to slightly tame burst forth, and she recklessly starts killing and falling apart [emotionally??]. Everyone fears her, except for Max. She at least seems to understand what Anne’s going through, and wants to help her. And Max seems to be Anne’s one true weakness, able to penetrate her soft spot. Or is she playing Max’s game, and merely enjoying the physical benefits. What needs to be remembered about Anne is that she is unpredictable and a force all her own; a valuable asset or a formidable enemy. Without her help, it’s unlikely that her cohorts would have gotten their hands on that Spanish gold.

These women are clearly strong and able to harness considerable power when their scheming works. But even like the men who make up their world, they’re always going to be victims of their circumstances. What’s really going to earn these women influence, power, and the freedom they endlessly seek is their own fortitude. They’re all survivors and able to withstand plenty of abuses and lethal threats; they just have to be willing to fight and not accept defeat as an option.