james norrington’s life (and death) revolved so heavily around protecting and serving other people, putting himself in harm’s way if it meant keeping those safe with whom he was entrusted (which, really, is all of the royal navy and the citizens of port royal)–he is “the protector”. he is always the calm, composed, level-headed one with a highly organized plan, always four steps ahead of everyone else. he requires structure and balance in his life, which is the only way he became so successful at such a young age: it was diligence, motivation, drive, and the all-encompassing need to rid the seven seas of piracy and secure the safety of any and all who travel the ocean, which is why the “surrendering” of davy jones’ heart at the end of DMC is so difficult for norrington. he is relinquishing his cherished sense of control the second he places the heart on beckett’s desk, but he is so desperate to reclaim the life he had prior to jack sparrow that he is willing to compromise his morals to do so. it’s been argued that norrington knew what he was doing and the consequences of his actions at the beginning of his relationship with beckett, but i don’t believe it truly became clear to him until elizabeth so viciously spat it out to him in AWE, and you can even see the painful, dawning recognition on his face (“elizabeth, i swear, i had nothing to do with your father’s death. but that does not absolve me of my other sins”). yes, he was aware of what he had sacrificed for beckett’s quest (quite selfishly, perhaps, but that is for another day) and that, in some way, he had betrayed elizabeth, but he was never fully conscious of the gravity of his decisions until that final scene, and that’s what really breaks my heart: he gave everything to so many, willing to martyr himself if it would ensure the protection of those he cared most about, but he was given nothing in return. he was admired, revered, hated, hunted, and murdered because of his dedication to reclaiming the seas from the hands of pirates, but no one ever ensured him the same safety and protection he so valiantly and selflessly devoted his life to.
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