Billy Budd Book Report

Billy Budd

Having the surplus of good will may lead to the downfall of an individual. In the novel “Billy Budd” by Herman Melville, the main character, Billy Budd, is depicted as  an ideal character with innocence and good intentions that ultimately leads to his demise on the Bellipotent warship. Billy Budd’s obliviousness towards the evil nature of others’ and inability to perceive the negative connotations leads to his own tragic death.

“Billy Budd” is a story about a handsome sailor, Billy Budd, the protagonist is aboard the Bellipotent warship perceived everyone to have good intentions. The antagonist is Claggart, the master-at-arms that has an evil nature and is jealous of Billy. Claggart hides his bad intentions by acting nice towards Billy and even though at times he reveals his disapproval through his sarcastic phrases, Billy is unable to perceive the intentions. Claggart attempts to expel Billy from the ship by accusing Billy of being the leader of a rebellion. Billy was enraged at this and punched Claggart in the forehead, killing him. The murder was trialed with Billy being found guilty and he was hanged. Due to Billy Budd’s innocence, he was unable to see through the bad intentions of Claggart, ultimately leading to him to die. Billy Budd is depicted as an ideal character of pleasant and innocent nature which is contrasted by the master-at-arms, Claggart, who has an evil nature. Billy Budd’s nickname in the novel is “Baby Budd” which symbolizes Billy’s innocence as he takes others’ words at face value. Billy Budd draws a parallel to the Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve’s loss of innocence can be compared to Billy Budd’s striking of Claggart after hearing the false accusations made of him. Claggart is compared to the serpent because of his evil nature and his motive of bringing ill will towards others. The quotation “Struck dead by an angel of God! Yet the angel must hang!” describes Billy’s good nature as he is compared to an angel. Also, like Adam and Eve, since Billy Budd infringed the law by killing Claggart, he is entitled to the consequence and he loses his life.

Billy Budd is organized differently than other novels. The story is represented loosely as it is interrupted by sections of description of the events as if it were part of a thought process. It starts with the introduction of the setting and background information followed up by character biographies before starting the actual story. As the story progresses, the pace increases and builds up to the climax of Billy killing Claggart and being hung. Then there is the falling action of sailors accepting the event and continuing to tell the tale about the truth of Billy Budd. Even though the story is a typical story with rising action, climax, and falling action, the novel lacks a definite structure as some chapters in the middle would describe the thoughts of certain characters and slow down the pace of the story.

Without volition as it were, as if indeed the ship's populace were but the vehicles of some vocal current electric, with one voice from alow and aloft came a resonant sympathetic echo--"God bless Captain Vere!" And yet at that instant Billy alone must have been in their hearts, even as he was in their eyes.

At the pronounced words and the spontaneous echo that voluminously rebounded them, Captain Vere, either thro' stoic self-control or a sort of momentary paralysis induced by emotional shock, stood erectly rigid as a musket in the ship-armorer's rack.

The hull deliberately recovering from the periodic roll to leeward was just regaining an even keel, when the last signal, a preconcerted dumb one, was given. At the same moment it chanced that the vapory fleece hanging low in the East, was shot thro' with a soft glory as of the fleece of the Lamb of God seen in mystical vision, and simultaneously therewith, watched by the wedged mass of upturned faces, Billy ascended; and, ascending, took the full rose of the dawn.

In the pinioned figure, arrived at the yard-end , to the wonder of all no motion was apparent, none save that created by the ship's motion, in moderate weather so majestic in a great ship ponderously cannoned.

The author’s use of diction, imagery, and syntax the author emphasizes the crew’s sorrow felt for the loss of Billy Budd. The author uses the word “fleece” to create a comparison of Billy and the “Lamb of God”, meaning Jesus. The comparison between Billy and Jesus allows the reader to see his innocence and feel pity for the hanging. The author wants Billy to be seen as a religious figure to emphasize the tragedy and Billy’s good will. The absence of dialog other than Billy’s final words, “God bless Captain Vere”, depicts his acceptance of death and creates a feeling of tranquility. To add to the tranquil tone the author repeats “ascended” and explains that “no motion was apparent”. The silence in this scene accentuates the sorrow felt by other sailors at the execution. In addition to the positive connotations of the word choices, the author uses imagery to highlight the peaceful environment. The “wedged mass of upturned faces” of the sailors show the respect the sailors have towards Billy. Billy’s hanging was described as the “full rose of the dawn”. This image describes Billy as an angelic figure as he rose up in the sunset. The syntax used by the author flows well and is almost satirical of the violence of the execution. Billy’s execution was described as “ascended; and, ascending, took the full rose of the dawn.” which has a poetic flow to it. This line contrast the violence with the positive connotations of the rose and the sunset of dawn. The author’s use of complex sentences and prepositional phrases help to slow down the tone which ultimately adds to the tranquil tone.

The theme of this story is conscience versus law as the crew aboard the Bellipotent cannot trust each other. The evil nature of humans is evident and the only thing stopping them from acting is the law. Order aboard the ship is kept by the law because everyone trusts the law. Billy’s obliviousness and innocence contrasts the evil intentions of others. The author uses Claggart’s ill will to represent the bad intentions of others. Billy’s acquaintance Dansker understands the evil nature of others. The central irony in this novel is found between Dansker and Billy as Dansker informs Billy of Claggart’s evil intentions and Billy rejects them because he refuses to believe the truth. Dansker knows of the evil, but fears to act upon it because he fears the law, while Billy is unaware of the evil and is left to fend for himself. Ultimately the evil nature has corrupted Billy and he ended up committing a murder that leads to the consequence of facing the law.

The moral found in this story is to not take everything at face value due to the fact that there are people out there with evil intentions. Billy’s obliviousness to this matter and rash actions upon realization leads to his death. Even though Billy was a kind soul, he could not be spared because the law must be enforced. Who you trust is indefinite, but the law is always constant.