Ben Gates was on a mission to solve the clue that was given to his grandfather’s grandfather about a treasure that was fought over for centuries. “The secret lies with Charlotte” was the one sentence that set off Ben on his greatest treasure hunt. The first clue led to a ship wreck north of the Arctic Circle, which then led them to the Declaration of Independence, which led to the Silence Dogood letters, which led to the Liberty Bell and finally to a church, which stood on top of secret tunnels.
All of these clues were easily solved by Nicolas Cage in National Treasure, but were these clues as easy to decipher as his character made them out to be? Within minutes of finding a clue, Ben was able to solve it with minimal outside help. Each new step along his journey, the clues only seemed to be getting tougher, and only a true history buff would be able to answer such complex riddles. So ,were the clues actually easy to decipher, or is Nicolas Cage’s character smarter than the rest of us?
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Freemasons Clues Start with Charlotte
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In the beginning of National Treasure, the original clue “The secret lies with Charlotte” is the name of a ship up in the arctic that leads them to the pipe. The pipe has a riddle that is etched on the stem, which, after deciphering, leads them to the Declaration of Independence. On the back of the Declaration is a hidden code that leads them to the Silence Dogood letters. The letters lead to Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where in a brick wall are hidden special glasses. The glasses allow them to find a new hidden message on the back of the Declaration, leading to Trinity Church in New York City. In a hidden chamber under the church, the pipe is used as a key that unlocks the treasure.
In a couple of days, Ben was able to find six clues. It was Ben’s father’s belief that anyone who has tried to follow these clues has ended up wasting their life. The clues that Ben does uncover help prove that the treasure actually existed and worth pursuing. After some illegal activities and falling down wooden shafts in an underground chamber, Ben and his friends find the treasure. However, were some of the answers to the riddles only something Ben could come to the conclusion of?
Is Ben Gates the Only One Who Can Solve the Clues?
Roger Ebert says that the only way any clues were solved in National Treasure was whenever Nicolas Cage’s character had an A-Ha! moment. Throughout the film, it seems as if Ben is the only character that can jump to these big conclusions. He was the only one to even consider that the pipe was leading them to the Declaration of Independence, while Ian’s henchman thought it would be hidden in a prison. Before even solving the Declaration clue, Ben already knew they would need the Silence Dogood letters and headed to his father’s house. It’s odd to think that he would even need others to help him if he already knew the direction the clues were heading.
When Ben gets taken by the FBI in Philadelphia, Riley and Abby are left to their own devices. They figure out how to get Ben out of custody, as well as the clue on the back of the Declaration of Independence. This leads us to believe that maybe Nicolas Cage isn’t the only smart one in the group. However, he did solve five other clues — there were six in total — so this conclusion may be premature. While underneath Trinity Church, Ben again seems to come out on top as he knows before anyone else that the pipe is the key. He seemed to have given up, but after having another A-Ha! moment, he solves the final clue that leads them to the treasure.
Is Nicolas Cage Smarter than the Freemasons?
Ben Gates was the first one in his family who was able to figure out the clue that was handed down through the generations. He enlists the help of Ian (who has the capital) and Riley (who has the technology) to get to the Charlotte. He’s the one that finds the pipe and then deciphers the riddle on the pipe. After figuring out the pipe clue, Ben not only realizes they need the Declaration of Independence, but how to steal the Declaration before Ian does. Tuft Daily calls the Declaration a symbolic clue that the National Treasure consistently returns to.
Ben also realizes that they need the Silence Dogood letters before even solving the Declaration clue. Riley and Abby are both smart in their own regards, but not even they concluded they needed the letters. Ben seems to answer all the clues with decent amount of ease. Riley and Abby follow Ben’s line of thinking but don’t get to the conclusion before he does. Ian needed Ben to figure out the clues for him and thus why he sought him out in the first place. In the end, Ben was the one to come out on top as he convinced the FBI to arrest Ian instead of him. The real question is: was Ben smarter than the Freemasons? It might have taken him years to find the Charlotte, but it only took him days to figure out the rest of the clues left by the secret society.
