The Tragic Story of The Flying Dutchman (2024)

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The Tragic Story of The Flying Dutchman? ›

The Flying Dutchman was a sea captain who once found himself struggling to round the Cape of Good Hope during a ferocious storm. He swore that he would succeed even if he had to sail until Judgment Day. The Devil heard his oath, and took him up on it; the Dutchman was condemned to stay at sea forever.

Lesson Summary. The Flying Dutchman is a European maritime legend about a phantom ship condemned to sail forever. Dutch folklore designates the captain as Hendrik Vander Decken, whose mission is to find the Cape of Good Hope. However, a freak storm thwarted the captain, and he could reach his destination.

In a rage, van der Decken challenged the sea to do its worst, swearing on all that was holy that he would make his landfall, whatever the consequences. His ship foundered at that moment and with his oath still on his lips, so the story goes, he was cursed for all eternity to sail endlessly on.

The subway car itself, endlessly traveling the same course, is symbolic of "The Course of History." Another layer of the title's symbolism is the myth of the Flying Dutchman, a ghost ship which, much like the subway car Clay rides on, endlessly sails on with a crew that is unable to escape the confines of the vessel.

The Flying Dutchman is a mythic figure who is condemned to roam the world, never resting, never bringing his ship to port, until Judgement Day. Cursed by past crimes, he is forbidden to land and sails from sea to sea, seeking a peace which forever eludes him. The Dutchman created his own destiny.

There have been many sightings over the years, although the last reported one was by a Nazi submarine in WWII. Some sightings involved the Flying Dutchman sailing quickly through calm waters while the majority of sailors have spotted it during extremely stormy weather with wind and waves crashing all around.

The end of the curse

The Dutchman surfaced near land and Will came ashore, reuniting with his family.

But the pain of Calypso's betrayal caused him was too much to live with, so Davy Jones carved out his own heart and locked it away in the Dead Man's Chest. Abandoning his duty, Davy Jones turned into a hideous humanoid sea monster, with an octopus face, a tentacles beard, a claw of crab as a hand and a giant crab leg.

Behind the scenes

With every year that passes, the crewmen become less human, their bodies taking on traits from the sea, until eventually they become part of the Flying Dutchman itself. After Jones' own death, the crew turned back to normal, with Will Turner as the new captain of the Dutchman.

In the most common version, the captain, Vanderdecken, gambles his salvation on a rash pledge to round the Cape of Good Hope during a storm and so is condemned to that course for eternity; it is this rendering which forms the basis of the opera Der fliegende Holländer (1843) by the German composer Richard Wagner.

What does the Dutchman symbolize? ›

The play is steeped in symbolic meaning. The subway car itself serves as a microcosm of society, a confined space where escape from uncomfortable realities is impossible. Lula's predatory behavior towards Clay symbolizes the historical and ongoing exploitation and subjugation of African Americans by white society.

He summons his men to resume their endless voyage. But as they set sail, Senta throws herself into the sea, vowing to be faithful to him in death. Redeemed by her sacrifice, the Dutchman ascends to heaven with Senta, and his ghost ship finally disappears.

The legend of The Flying Dutchman is said to have started in 1641 when a Dutch ship sank off the coast of the Cape of Good Hope. Captain van der Decken was pleased. The trip to the Far East had been highly successful and at last, they were on their way home to Holland.

The Flying Dutchman (1846–1870) was an English Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He raced for four seasons between 1848 and 1851, winning all but one of his fifteen races, including The Derby and the St Leger.

Davy Jones' locker is a metaphor for the oceanic abyss, the final resting place of drowned sailors and travellers. It is a euphemism for drowning or shipwrecks in which the sailors' and ships' remains are consigned to the depths of the ocean (to be sent to Davy Jones' Locker).

Once a human pirate and a good man, Davy Jones was known to be a great sailor, Jones was originally a heroic man like Jack Sparrow before meeting Calypso.

With every year that passes, the crewmen become less human, their bodies taking on traits from the sea, until eventually they become part of the Flying Dutchman itself. After Jones' own death, the crew turned back to normal, with Will Turner as the new captain of the Dutchman.

So, here's the summary: The Flying Dutchman on its own is two slices of cheese melted in between two beef patties—no bun and no lettuce. You can also customize it even further by asking for the Flying Dutchman Animal Style (in a lettuce wrap instead of a bun).