Billy Budd, Sailor: A novella by Herman Melville

Billy Budd Before Referencing

Herman Melville's Billy Budd: A Perfect Storm of Injustice

Who is responsible for Billy Budd's death? Discuss how Captain Vere, Claggart and Billy himself all contribute to Billy's downfall.

Herman Melville's 1891 seafaring novella Billy Budd is a Christian allegory, transposed into the relatively contemporary setting of a British naval vessel. The Christian Bible details the death of Christ as a series of betrayals and injustices. The popular leader and teacher Christ is betrayed by one of his own followers, Judas, and is handed over by the leadership of his own nation to the Roman judge Pontius Pilate. Pilate washes his hands of his responsibility for a man whom he believes is innocent, because Christ will not verbally defend himself, and because the Roman authorities have charged him with preserving order amongst the populace. Pilate acquiesces, going against his better moral instincts.

Similarly, Billy Budd is a man unjustly accused by Captain Claggart, a man who is jealous of the love Billy's fellow sailors feel for Billy, because of Billy' kindness and good heart. However, as in the death of Christ, no single man, not even Claggart, bears the blame alone for Billy's trial, conviction, and death by hanging. Billy's treatment is the result of constellation of factors on the ship. Equal blame must be placed upon the Royal Navy and also upon the Honorable Edward Vere, who oversees Billy's court-martial and conviction for murder

Like Christ, Billy Budd is of uncertain parentage. Budd is an illiterate founding, and was impressed into serving His Majesty's army. The ship on which he serves is in a state of great tension, because of fears of the French attacking the ship, and also the constant threat of mutiny by unwilling and impressed crews of sailors. "Discontent foreran the Two Mutinies, and more or less it lurkingly survived them. Hence it was not unreasonable to apprehend some return of trouble, sporadic or general... At sea precautionary vigilance was strained against relapse. At short notice an engagement might come on. When it did, the lieutenants assigned to batteries felt it incumbent on them, in some instances, to stand with drawn swords behind the men working the guns" (Melville, Chapter 5, p.1). Thus, when Master-at-Arms John Claggart falsely charges Budd with mutiny, despite Claggart's poor reputation amongst the common sailors, his accusation is taken seriously.

Budd is unable to respond to Claggart's attacks because of his stammer. Instead, his face bears a mute expression, "which was as a crucifixion to behold" (Melville, Chapter 19, p.1). Accuser and accused meet alone in the quarters of Edward Vere where Billy is silent, like Christ, and like Pontius Pilate, Vere does nothing to aid him in his defense. Vere is ignorant, until it is too late of "Billy's liability to vocal impediment" (Melville, Chapter 19, p.1). Under the pressure of cross-examination, Billy accidentally kills Claggart; his powerful right arm shooting out, as he physically flails, trying to find some words to defend himself. Billy Budd's movement is like a spontaneous reaction, but Vere, even though he perceives this fact, sees it as Budd's death-knell.

As the formal representative of justice and the crown on the ship, Vere becomes is both the judge and witness at the court martial. Although everyone thinks that Billy is basically a good man, the panel of justices convict Billy to set an example for the other men on the ship, to show what insubordination and mutiny towards superior officers will do. The good of the man outweighs the need for justice to the individual in the world of the navy. This is the sort of logic, Melville suggests, that also was behind the death of Christ -- that truth matters little, and politics matters much.

The fact that Billy's death is the result of legal procedures raises the question of who is to blame for his death. Claggart seems the most obvious culprit, given without his accusation Billy would never have been accused and gone on being loved as a handsome and respected sailor. However, Claggart's evil is described as inevitable, something that lesser men always feel before a "Handsome Sailor" like Billy. In other words, there will always be Claggarts in the world; the question is how society should respond to its 'Claggarts.'

The paranoia about mutiny in the Royal Navy gave credence to Claggart's self-serving and baseless accusations, and without the inflexible attitudes of the Navy, a peaceful man like Billy would never have been impressed and forced to serve. The navy's undemocratic forms of justice, where only officers, not Billy's equals on the ship can judge him, and the quick pace of justice, which allows no court of appeal, also seem complicit in Budd's death. The reason given for Claggart's quick advancement, although he was unpopular with the men, was his "ingratiating deference to superiors" (Melville, Chapter 8, p.2). The opinions of ordinary men matter very little, instead, all that matters is toadying to one's betters, which is something in which Claggart excels. The fear of the common soldier and mutiny, the fear of republican France, the ability of Claggart to gain power all represent the worst of the British military system to the American author Melville, and parallel the injustices of the late Roman empire.

However, of all figures in the novel, Vere is perhaps the most reprehensible. Claggart is a sadist, and is looking for someone to blame for his justified lack of popularity amongst the crew, but the system perhaps inevitably produces and allows some Claggarts to thrive. The purpose of the justice system on board, which is supposed to be fairly enforced by Vere, is to prevent people like Claggart from abusing their authority. Instead, Vere is more interested in preserving order rather than seeing that justice is done, and he allows Claggart to win in his war against Billy Budd, even after Claggart's death.

The truest assessment of Billy is really provided by members of the crew, regarding his physical and moral powers: "The moral nature was seldom out of keeping with the physical make. Indeed, except as toned by the former, the comeliness and power, always attractive in masculine conjunction, hardly could have drawn the sort of honest homage the Handsome Sailor in some examples received from his less gifted associates" (Melville, Chapter 1, p.1). The best, ordinary soldiers are not jealous of Billy's superior gifts. When Billy dies, the place where he was hung is revered: "To them a chip of it was as a piece of the Cross" (Chapter 30, p.1). The crew is not jealous of Billy Budd, unlike Claggart, but at least Claggart does not know the hatred against Billy that he feels is wrong, Vere knows that he is killing an angel, but he demands that the court-martial hang Billy anyway.