When Captain Vere impatiently interrupts the veiled allusions and demands the name of the dangerous crewman, Claggart replies, “William Budd.” Captain Vere is astonished; he had been considering Budd for a promotion. Disbelieving Claggart’s charges, he ponders the best method of quietly disposing of the matter. During the long interview, […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Chapter 18Summary and Analysis Chapters 15-17
Billy, guileless and unsuspecting, is disinclined to attribute these peculiar incidents to Claggart. While the master-at-arms acts strangely at times, still he often greets Billy pleasantly enough. And the incidents involving his bag and hammock have ceased. When messmates of Claggart stare suspiciously at Billy, he is unaware of the […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Chapters 15-17Summary and Analysis Chapter 14
Billy complies and joins the sailor who awakens him. In the hazy starlight, Billy cannot identify the man’s face, but from his general physique he recognizes him as one of the afterguardsmen. The man states that he, like Billy, was impressed into naval service. He reports that a gang of […]
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Claggart apparently takes the spilling of the soup on the deck not as a simple accident, but as evidence of Billy’s dislike for him. Claggart’s prejudice is fed by Squeak, one of his corporals, who has sensed his envy of Billy. Squeak’s way of “ferreting” about the lower decks reminds […]
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On the day following his impressment, Billy Budd observes the flogging of a young sailor who caused problems with the ship’s maneuvers by being away from his post. Billy resolves to perform his duties well and give no cause for even verbal reprimand. Nevertheless, he finds himself getting into occasional, […]
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Analysis After introducing Captain Vere in Chapter 1, Melville now describes him more fully to the reader. A non-military appearing, humorless, undemonstrative man, on shore he would pass for a civilian. At sea, he is occasionally dreamy-eyed as he gazes on the water, but he is capable of quick, courageous […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Chapters 6-7Summary and Analysis Chapters 3-5
The Bellipotent sails for the Mediterranean in these difficult times. Many of the abuses have been rectified, but impressment still continues, and every officer in the fleet watches for signs of discontent and trouble. Nelson, the greatest naval hero of his time, has great personal influence over the men, but […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Chapters 3-5Summary and Analysis Chapters 1-2
Such a figure is the Handsome Sailor of this story, bright-eyed Billy Budd, aged twenty-one, a foretopman of the British fleet whom Lieutenant Ratcliffe of the H.M.S. Bellipotent forcibly transfers from the English merchantman, the Rights-of-Man. Captain Graveling, of the latter ship, tells the impressment officer that before Billy came, […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Chapters 1-2Character List
John Claggart, Master-at-Arms The dark, demon-haunted weapons officer and ship’s policeman in his mid-thirties who, out of jealousy and malice, causes Billy’s execution. Claggart comes from a shady background and is possibly foreign by birth. He is not well known to the captain because he joined the crew when it […]
Read more Character ListAbout Billy Budd
Under the tutelage of Hawthorne, Melville developed the metaphysical elements of his work, often to the detriment of clarity of diction and flow of language. For example: On the starboard side of the Bellipotent’s upper gun deck, behold Billy Budd under sentry lying prone in irons in one of the […]
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