Billy Budd, Sailor

By Herman Melville

The story takes place in the 1790’s and protagonist Billy

Budd is impressed into service on the H.M.S.

Bellipotent

Although taken involuntarily into service, Billy Budd proves to be a model sailor and

earns the respect of more seasoned sailors on the Bellipotent

Despite Billy Budd’s excellent seamanship and work ethic, he is continually scrutinized and persecuted. Billy seeks the advice of Dansker, a veteran sailor, who tells him that the Master at Arms, Claggart hates him, Billy however, disregards this explanation.

Shortly afterwards, a minor incident involving spilled soup begins the downward spiral of Billy’s demise.

A mysterious encounter with another sailor occurs and after a skirmish with an enemy frigate, circumstantial evidence is produced which implicates Billy Budd

in a mutiny conspiracy. Claggart goes to Capt. Vere with this accusation. Billy Budd’s tendency to stutter causes him to seem guilty.

When Billy is confronted directly by Claggart with this accusation, he lashesout physically and punches Claggart in the forehead. The blow proves fatal and immediate justice is called for in a drumhead court by Capt. Vere

Billy’s last words are“God Bless Capt. Vere!”

Billy is sentenced to deathby hanging for the murderof Claggart

Shortly afterward The Bellipotent is

involved in another skirmish Capt. Vere is mortally

wounded, before dying his last words are “Billy Budd, Billy Budd.”

The story of Billy Budd’s martyrdom becomes the stuff of seafaring legend.

Characters• Billy Budd – the epitome of good, he is

physically attractive, young, a model sailor, and has the unwitting inability to conceive of ill will in others; he also stutters Protagonist

• Capt. Vere aka Starry Vere – the captain of the H.M.S. Bellipotent, somewhat aloof, yet not superior

• John Claggart – the epitome of evil, cruel, sinister, manipulative, conniving, vindictive; Antagonist

Characters• Dansker – veteran sailor who Billy seeks

out for advice, he is unhelpful in the end• Ship’s surgeon – pronounces Claggart

dead, surprised by abrupt decision for drumhead court, unconvinced of supernatural calmness of Billy’s death

• Ship’s purser – believes the death of Billy to have a supernatural element to it

• Ship’s chaplain – attempts to console Billy on the eve of his execution but finds him already resigned to it

Characters

• Squeak – henchman of Claggart that fuels the hatred for Billy

• Albert – Capt. Vere’s cabin boy, summons Billy to the Capt.’s cabin to be questioned

• Lieutenant Ratcliffe – selects Billy from the H.M.S. Rights of Man as the only sailor that is impressed into service on the H.M.S. Bellipotent

Characters• Capt. Graveling – captain of the H.M.S.

Rights of Man, who is sorry to lose Billy Budd to the H.M.S. Bellipotent

• The Red Whiskers – Billy’s adversary aboard the H.M.S. Rights of Man, whose hatred turns to love for Billy after Billy defends himself and strikes him (contrasting w/striking Claggart)

• Red Pepper – reproaches Billy for his inaction

against encounter with stranger on the H.M.S. Bellipotent

Themes• Individual versus Society – examples:

names of ships; the mutiny of the Nore; feelings for Billy Budd are disregarded

• Conscience versus Law – mistrust, paranoia abound, those who are aware, Dansker are cynical, evil has a foothold

• Vulnerability of Innocence – beyond the simplistic good vs. evil; Billy is naïve, innocent, and incapable of seeing evil in others, therefore

easily victimized

Motifs• Christian Allegory – Christ’s willing

sacrifice parallels Billy’s; Capt. Vere parallels Pontius Pilate; Claggart parallels Satan (snakelike in death)

• Suggestive names – the ship’s names; main characters Budd (youthful innocence) and Vere

(veering from truth)• Animal Imagery – descriptions of

characters• Mutiny – conscientious objection to

war, acting individually rather than collectively, dissension from authority

Symbolism• The ships – H.M.S. Bellipotent

represents the machine, military, warlike tendencies; The Athee translates to the atheist; H.M.S. Rights of Man represents the natural freedoms of the individual

• The purser and the surgeon – represent the 2 opposing viewpoints in religion: the former feels there is a unique supernatural, spiritual aspect to Billy’s death whereas the latter claims it is purely scientific

Works Cited

• www.sparknotes.com/lit/billybudd