Character Relationship Map: Captain Blood

Characters

• Arabella Bishop (played by Olivia de Havilland) — protagonist

  Arabella is the niece of Colonel Bishop and the woman who first helps improve Peter Blood's life in slavery by recommending him as a physician. Captured while returning to the Caribbean, she resents b...

• Colonel Bishop (played by Lionel Atwill) — supporting

  Colonel Bishop is Arabella's uncle and a military commander in Port Royal. Suspicious of Peter Blood's plans, he has Jeremy Pitt flogged and interrogated, later becomes governor, and leaves the colony...

• Levasseur (played by Basil Rathbone) — supporting

  Levasseur is a French buccaneer and Peter Blood's treacherous pirate partner. He captures Arabella and Lord Willoughby to demand a ransom, then objects when Blood buys them from him. Their dispute lea...

• Jeremy Pitt (played by Ross Alexander) — supporting

  Jeremy Pitt is one of Peter Blood's fellow prisoners and participates in Blood's escape preparations. Colonel Bishop suspects the prisoners' plans and has Jeremy flogged and interrogated. His sufferin...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Arabella Bishop → Colonel Bishop (Family Niece) — They are uncle and niece, despite conflict caused by his authority and actions.

  The plot identifies Arabella Bishop as Colonel Bishop's niece and later shows her pleading for his life.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Arabella Bishop → Levasseur (Conflict Captive And Captor) — Levasseur's kidnapping places Arabella in direct danger before she is transferred to another captain.

  Levasseur captures the ship carrying Arabella and plans to hold her for ransom.

• Colonel Bishop → Jeremy Pitt (Conflict Captor And Prisoner) — The colonel uses coercive authority against Jeremy during the attempted escape.

  Colonel Bishop has Jeremy Pitt flogged and interrogated while investigating the prisoners' escape plan.

Story Analysis

A condemned physician transforms forced exile into piracy, then earns redemption by saving the colony he once opposed.

Plot Progression

1. Chains Across the Atlantic — A physician is arrested after treating a wounded rebel and condemned for treason. The surviving rebels are transported to the West Indies and sold into slavery.
2. Escape from Port Royal — Arabella improves the physician's position by recommending him for medical work. Suspicion, interrogation, and a Spanish raid create the opportunity for the prisoners to seize a ship.
3. Pirates and Captives — The escaped crew becomes famous among Caribbean buccaneers. Arabella returns, but Levasseur captures her ship and triggers a violent dispute over her ransom.
4. The Colony in Peril — Port Royal is attacked while its commander is away pursuing the pirates. A royal offer of pardons and commissions changes the pirates' decision about defending the colony.
5. Victory Under the Flag — The pirates change their colors and defeat the attacking French warships. The victory brings a new governorship and a personal reconciliation involving Arabella and her uncle.