In Master and Commander, is Aubrey disobeying orders by pursuing his prey beyond Brazil into the Pacific?
Short answerNo, provided he completes the mission: Brazil is the expected endpoint, while the underlying order is to find and neutralize the raider.
NotesThe orders name Brazil as the hoped-for limit of the chase rather than an absolute boundary that overrides the mission. Aubrey continues because the enemy privateer remains active and he is still pursuing the assigned objective. Capturing the opponent validates his judgment after the fact. The panel's warning is that an unsuccessful captain could face the same regulations as evidence of disobedience, showing how victory often protects operational initiative.