Long John Silver - Definition and Overview

Long John Silver is a fictional character in the novel Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson. But the name was taken from a otherwise unknown historical criminal. He is a pirate, and was the ship's quartermaster under Captain Flint; Silver was said to have been the only man whom Flint ever feared. Like many of Stevenson's characters, there is more than a modicum of duality in the character; ostensibly Silver is a hard-working and likeable seaman, and it is only as the plot unfurls that his villainous nature is gradually revealed.

Actors who have portrayed Long John Silver in the various motion picture adaptations of Treasure Island include Wallace Beery, Orson Welles, Charlton Heston, Robert Newton, Tim Curry, Jack Palance, and Brian Blessed.

The fast food restaurant chain Long John Silver's was named after this character, as was porn actor Long Dong Silver.

Example Usage of Silver