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...

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…