Jack Aubrey

Aubrey is one of the principle protagonists of the novel and shares the spotlight with his particular friend and confidant Stephen Maturin. Aubrey is a larger-than-life character with dash and charisma. He is an unchallenged and undoubted master in his element of the sea; a legendary captain, a masterful navigator, a superb tactician, and an undefeatable warrior. Although he is intelligent, he relies more on experience, insight, and a nearly infallible instinct to carry him through the various perils he encounters.

Aubrey begins the novel as a commander without a ship, on half-pay waiting for something interesting to happen in a time of peace. By the conclusion of the novel he becomes a post captain without a permanent assignment, but commands H.M.S. Lively. Aubrey's father is involved in politics and is an abrasive and vocal member of an unpopular minority; Aubrey therefore has difficulty with...