British pirates in print and performance

Abstract

Fictional or real, pirates haunted the imagination of the 18th and 19th century-British public. British Pirates in Print and Performance explores representations of pirates through dozens of stage performances, including adaptations by Byron, Scott, and Cooper, in a period of maritime commerce, exploration, and naval conflict. Tracking the movement between the pirate on stage and the pirate in print, this book reveals the origins and dramatic developments of the signifiers that audiences attach to piracy, including pirate fashion (from peg-legs to parrots), the Jolly Roger, and walking the plank.