A swashbuckler is a

genre Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other fo ...

of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist

stock character A stock character, also known as a character archetype, is a type of character in a narrative (e.g. a novel, play, television show, or film) whom audiences recognize across many narratives or as part of a storytelling tradition or convention. Th ...

who is skilled in

swordsmanship Swordsmanship or sword fighting refers to the skills and techniques used in combat and training with any type of sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to an ...

, acrobatics, and guile, and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, daring, and idealistic: he rescues damsels in distress, protects the downtrodden, and uses duels to defend his honor or that of a lady or to avenge a comrade. Swashbucklers often engage in daring and romantic adventures with bravado or flamboyance. Swashbuckler heroes are typically gentleman adventurers who dress elegantly and flamboyantly in coats, waistcoats, tight breeches, large feathered hats, and high leather boots, and they are armed with the thin

rapier A rapier () is a type of sword originally used in Spain (known as ' -) and Italy (known as '' spada da lato a striscia''). The name designates a sword with a straight, slender and sharply pointed two-edged long blade wielded in one hand. It wa ...

s that were commonly used by aristocrats. Swashbucklers are not usually unrepentant brigands or pirates, although some may rise from such disreputable stations and achieve redemption. His opponent is typically characterized as a dastardly

villain A villain (also known as a " black hat", "bad guy" or "baddy"; The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.126 "baddy (also baddie) noun (pl. -ies) ''informal'' a villain or criminal in a book, film, etc.". the feminine form is villai ...

. While the hero may face down a number of henchmen to the villain during a story, the climax is a dramatic one-on-one sword battle between the protagonist and the villain. There is a long list of swashbucklers who combine courage, skill, resourcefulness, and a distinctive sense of honor and justice, as for example '' Cyrano de Bergerac'', ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' () is a French historical adventure novel written and published in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is the first of the author's three d'Artagnan Romances. As with some of his other works, he wrote it in col ...

'', '' The Scarlet Pimpernel'',

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...

, and Zorro. As a

historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the Setting (narrative), setting of particular real past events, historical events. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literatur ...

genre, it is often set in the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

or Cavalier era. The stock character also became common in the

film genre A film genre is a Genre, stylistic or thematic category for Film, motion pictures based on similarities either in the narrative , narrative elements, aesthetic approach, or the emotional response to the film. Drawing heavily from the theories ...

, which extended the genre to the Golden Age of Piracy. As swashbuckler stories are often mixed with the romance genre, there will often be a beautiful, aristocratic female love interest to whom the hero expresses a refined, courtly love. At the same time, since swashbuckler plots are often based on intrigues involving corrupt religious figures or scheming monarchs, the heroes may be tempted by alluring femmes fatales or vampish courtesans.

Etymology

"Swashbuckler" is a compound of "swash" (archaic: to swagger with a drawn sword) and " buckler" (a small shield gripped in the fist) dating from the

16th century The 16th century began with the Julian calendar, Julian year 1501 (represented by the Roman numerals MDI) and ended with either the Julian or the Gregorian calendar, Gregorian year 1600 (MDC), depending on the reckoning used (the Gregorian calend ...

Historical background

While man-at-arms and sellswords of the era usually wore armor of necessity, their counterparts in later romantic literature and film (see below) often did not, and the term evolved to denote a daring, devil-may-care demeanor rather than brandishment of accoutrements of war. Swashbuckling adventures and romances are generally set in Europe from the late

up through the Age of Reason and the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

, extending into the colonial era with pirate tales in the

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

Literature

Jeffrey Richards traces the swashbuckling novel to the rise of

Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...

, and an outgrowth of the historical novel, particularly those of Sir Walter Scott, "... medieval tales of chivalry, love and adventure rediscovered in the eighteenth century". This type of historical novel was further developed by

Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas , was a French novelist and playwright. His works have been translated into many languages and he is one of the mos ...

. John Galsworthy said of

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...

's 1888 swashbuckling romance, '' The Black Arrow'', that it was "a livelier picture of medieval times than I remember elsewhere in fiction." Anthony Hope's 1894 '' The Prisoner of Zenda'' initiated an additional subset of the swashbuckling novel, the Ruritanian romance.

Theatre

The perceived significant and widespread role of swordsmanship in civilian society as well as warfare in the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods led to fencing being performed on theatre stages as part of plays. Soon actors were taught to fence in an entertaining, dramatic manner. Eventually fencing became an established part of a classical formation for actors.

Movie

Consequently, when movie theaters mushroomed, ambitious actors took the chance to present their accordant skills on the screen. Since silent movies were no proper medium for long dialogues, the classic stories about heroes who would defend their honour with sword in hand were simplified and sheer action would gain priority. This was the birth of a new kind of film hero: the swashbuckler. For Hollywood actors to depict these skilled sword fighters, they needed advanced sword training. Four of the most famous instructors for swashbuckling swordplay are William Hobbs, Anthony De Longis, Bob Anderson and Peter Diamond. The larger-than-life heroics portrayed in some film franchise adventures (most notably the ''

Indiana Jones ''Indiana Jones'' is an American media franchise consisting of five films and a prequel television series, along with games, comics, and tie-in novels, that depicts the adventures of Indiana Jones (character), Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, ...

'' movies) set in the modern era have been described as swashbuckling.

Film

The genre has, apart from swordplay, always been characterized by influences that can be traced back to the

chivalry Chivalry, or the chivalric language, is an informal and varying code of conduct that developed in Europe between 1170 and 1220. It is associated with the medieval Christianity, Christian institution of knighthood, with knights being members of ...

tales of Medieval Europe, such as the legends of

and

King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...

. It soon created its own drafts based on classic examples like ''The Mark of Zorro'' (1920), ''The Three Musketeers'' (1921), ''Scaramouche'' (1923) and ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' (1934). Some films did also use motifs of pirate stories. Often these films were adaptations of classic historic novels published by well-known authors such as

Rafael Sabatini Rafael Sabatini (29 April 1875 – 13 February 1950) was an Italian people, Italian-born British writer of novels, writer of romance novel, romance and adventure novel, adventure novels. He is best known for his worldwide bestsellers: ''The Sea ...

, Baroness Emma Orczy, Sir Walter Scott, Johnston McCulley, and Edmond Rostand. Swashbucklers are one of the most flamboyant Hollywood film genres, unlike cinema verite or modern realistic filmmaking. The genre attracted large audiences who relished the blend of escapist adventure, historic romance, and daring stunts in cinemas before it became a fixture on TV screens. With the focus on action, adventure, and, to a lesser degree, romance, there is little concern for historical accuracy. Filmmakers may mix incidents and events from different historical eras. As a first variation of the classic swashbuckler there have also been female swashbucklers. Maureen O'Hara in '' Against All Flags'' and Jean Peters in '' Anne of the Indies'' were very early action film heroines. Eventually the typical swashbuckler motifs were used up because they had so often been shown on TV screens. Later films such as '' The Princess Bride'', the '' Pirates of the Caribbean'' series and '' The Mask of Zorro'' include modern takes on the swashbuckler archetype.

Television

Television followed the films, especially in the UK, with '' The Adventures of Robin Hood'', '' Sword of Freedom'', '' The Buccaneers'', and '' Willam Tell'' between 1955 and 1960. US TV produced two series of '' Zorro'' in 1957 and 1990. Following the 1998 film '' The Mask of Zorro'', a TV series about a female swashbuckler, the '' Queen of Swords'', aired in 2000.

List of characters

Famous swashbuckler characters from literature and other media include the following: * Doña María Teresa (Tessa) Alvarado/The Queen of Swords * D'Artagnan * Don Diego de la Vega/the Zorro * Alejandro Murieta/Zorro *

* Peter Pan * Captain Jack Sparrow * Puss in Boots * The Doctor * Luke Skywalker * Athos, Porthos, and Aramis * Captain Hector Barbossa * Cyrano de Bergerac * Sir Percy Blakeney/The Scarlet Pimpernel * Peter Blood * John Carter of Mars * Edmond Dantès (The Count of Monte Cristo) *

Ivanhoe ''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' ( ) by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in December 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. It marked a shift away from Scott's prior practice of setting stories in Scotland and in the more ...

* Diego Alatriste * Solomon Kane * Khlit the Cossack * Don Juan Tenorio * Fandral * Captain Harlock * Kamina * Marco Del Monte * Inigo Montoya * Hiraga Saito * Andre-Louis Moreau/Scaramouche * Rudolf Rassendyll * Dread Pirate Roberts * Emilio Roccanera (The Black Corsair) *

Sandokan Sandokan is a fictional late 19th-century pirate created by Italian people, Italian author Emilio Salgari. His adventures first appeared in publication in 1883. Sandokan is the hero of 11 adventure novels. Within the series, Sandokan is known ...

(The Tiger of Malaysia) * Richard Sharpe * Alan Breck Stuart * Dan Tempest * Guybrush Threepwood *

Dante Dante Alighieri (; most likely baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri; – September 14, 1321), widely known mononymously as Dante, was an Italian Italian poetry, poet, writer, and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called ...

(Devil May Cry) * Will Turner * Elizabeth Swann * Delilah Dirk * William Tell * Lara Croft * Link (The Legend of Zelda) * Zuko * Jamie McCrimmon * Quentin Durward * Han Solo * Nathan Drake (character) * Sokka * Reepicheep * Buck * Leonardo * Taylor Earhardt * Merrick Balinton * Cameron Watanabe * Tommy Oliver * Anubis Doggie Cruger * Casey Rhodes * Sir Ivan of Zandar * Yaz Khan * Amy Pond * Rory Williams * Nightcrawler * Shang-Chi * Captain James T. Kirk * Chiro * Mihawk

Actors

Actors notable for their portrayals of swashbucklers include: * Benoît-Constant Coquelin (1841–1909), was a French actor, and "one of the greatest theatrical figures of the age." He played "Cyrano de Bergerac" over 400 times and later toured North America in the role. * In early 1883 James O'Neill (1847–1920) took over the lead role in "The Count of Monte Cristo" at Booth's Theater in New York. His interpretation of the part caused a sensation with the theater-going public and a company was immediately set up to take the play on tour. O'Neill bought the rights to the play. "Monte Cristo" remained a popular favorite and would continue to make its appearance on tour as regular as clockwork. O'Neill went on to play this role over 6,000 times. * E. H. Sothern (1859–1933) was especially known for his heroic portrayal of Rudolph Rassendyl in the first stage adaptation of '' The Prisoner of Zenda'', which he first played in 1895.Holder, Heidi J.
"Sothern, Edward Askew (1826–1881)"
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 The role made him a star. * Douglas Fairbanks (1883–1939) was a Hollywood movie star of the silent film era and was widely regarded as the predecessor to Errol Flynn. *

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...

(1909–1959) was famously known for the action adventurer typified Hollywood's idea of the swashbuckler in films as '' Captain Blood'' (1935), '' The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938), and '' The Sea Hawk'' (1940). * Burt Lancaster (1913–1994) Although he was very much an all-round actor, successful in any kind of role, he starred in two swashbuckling films '' The Flame and the Arrow'' (1950) and '' The Crimson Pirate'' (1952), both produced through his own film production company Norma Productions. Lancaster also starred in and produced two swashbuckler-esque adventure films made in the same time-frame, '' Ten Tall Men'' (1951) and '' His Majesty O'Keefe'' (filmed in 1952 but released in 1954). Lancaster, a former circus acrobat, was noted for performing his own stunts. * Mikhail Boyarsky (born 1949), who played d'Artagnan in d'Artagnan and Three Musketeers and its four sequels, as well as other swashbuckler characters in historical adventure movies like Gardes-Marines, Forward!, Viva Gardes-Marines!, Don Cesar de Bazan, The Dog in the Manger, The Prisoner of Château d'If, Queen Margot, among others.

Sources for films

Fiction writers whose novels and stories have been adapted for swashbuckler films include: * Bernard Cornwell *

Alexandre Dumas, père Alexandre Dumas (born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas , was a French novelist and playwright. His works have been translated into many languages and he is one of the mos ...

* Jeffery Farnol * Paul Féval, père * Théophile Gautier * Anthony Hope * Robert E. Howard * Harold Lamb * Johnston McCulley * Baroness Orczy * Arturo Pérez-Reverte * Edmond Rostand *

William Goldman William Goldman (August 12, 1931 – November 16, 2018) was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He first came to prominence in the 1950s as a novelist before turning to screenwriting. Among other accolades, Goldman won two Aca ...

* Emilio Salgari * Sir Walter Scott * Samuel Shellabarger *

* Michel Zevaco

References

External links

* {{Stock characters Lists of stock characters Stock characters Adventure fiction Heroic fantasy Damsels in distress