Essay on Billy Budd

     Captain Vere knew that Billy did not mean for him to die but he still calls a trial for murder. Captain Vere knew that Billy was not going to revolt as well but because of the mutinies that had been taking place at that time, Vere did not want to show any weakness. Billy could have probably gotten off had he turned in the other men who were actually planning to revolt but he didn’t because of his loyalty to his crew. He lost the trial and was hanged, his last words being, “God Bless Captain Vere!';

However, this cannot be said for all victims of guilt as the author makes sure to heed the consequences of

Billy’s retaliation leads to another conflict between good and evil where Captain Vere must decide Billy’s fate after he commits a crime punishable by death after killing Claggart. Vere likes Billy’s character and would not like to see Billy put to death. Vere accepts that Claggart provoked Billy’s retaliation by lying and can see the evil in Claggart but also recognizes the call of duty which at war-time was non-tolerable for such an offence. Vere is troubled with the conflict of conscience and duty and under the circumstances of war he does what is right and has Billy hung. Captain Vere loves Billy and has no problem with him in any way but finds where authority has evil it will command.

It was very unlike Billy to ever do something so rash; he brought out the best in everyone. Captain Vere felt in his heart that Billy’s actions were a mistake, but he could not be sure. The accusation Claggart made was mutiny, and mutiny was a serious crime. Vere had no proof that Billy was not guilty, so for the safety of himself and his crew, he sacrificed Billy’s life.

The idea of blame, defined as, “A particular kind of response (e.g. emotion), to a person, at fault, for a wrongful action,” plays a significant role in the study of crime, with respect to degrees of “fault.” In most modern societies, “criminal culpability,” or degrees of wrongdoing, makes a difference between the kinds of punishment one receives for his action(s). To be culpable for a crime, there must be a guilty act (Actus Rea), and a guilty mind (Mens Rea). Degrees of culpability often depends on the kind of mental state, (Mens Rea), one brings to the act in which he engaged. How much one is blameworthy for wrongful conduct depends in part on the state of mind in relation to the wrongful conduct. One’s mental state while engaging in wrongful conduct, which in a legal sense is determined by legislators, is characterized by the following terms: purposely, knowingly, recklessly and negligence.

The ability for Melville to explain this says so much about his capabilities as a writer. In Chapter 19, right as Claggart is accusing Budd, the author carefully paints an intricate picture so the reader has a clear understanding of the scene:

It is important for one to be capable of feeling guilt over mistakes that he/she has committed but it is of the upmost important to not let it consume the person whole. In a sense the act of taking on guilt shows that one is human with a living conscience. Larry seems to be crippled with guilt, but he has his work, which is an enormous part of his identity and his life will go on while Jim Hammer even though he is free he has nothing to turn to and that in part is because of his

Many people have been born that have struck a chord with the world. Some people have become legends, patriots and even heroes. Though one person stood out among the rest, this one was not made a hero, but was born to be one. He was a hero at what he strived to be in life and he has captured the attention of the public like no other solider has done before or since. This great Canadian Air Force Ace became one of the legendary figures in 20th century air warfare. With his daring and dramatic dogfights in France, he achieved a record of 72 kills in his many encounters. His role on the ground during the Second World War training pilots changed and inspired a whole new generation of fighter pilots. This man is known

The first example of guilt in the novel is Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. When Cross is introduced in the novel, we learn about the stone that a girl he was in love with gave him. He carries the stone around everywhere and even puts it in his mouth, until one day when one of his men named Ted Lavender was shot

“Blame and shame are just concepts that often create a distance between ourselves and others, and work against the eventual establishment of just relationships” (Kelley, 86).

Most of the sailors on the ship loved Billy Budd. However, Claggart and his sidekick Squeak, did not. Although Billy did his best to either avoid them, or on those occasions in which he did come face to face with one or the other, he did his best to be kind to them. While Billy was being as absolutely courteous as possible, that did not help the flaming hatred that was burning in their hearts. As a matter of speaking, Billy was actually feeding the rage and fury that had been smoldering there even before they knew Billy even existed. When Claggart was accusing Billy in front of Caption Veere, Billy began his stuttering cycle that only occurred when he was under stress, or being questioned about something. They were in the captions cabin during

Billy had no mental problems. He was more than capable of having a conversation and could have explained himself to the captain. Billy let his emotions get the best of him. Billy regretted striking Claggart. Billy was punished correctly for the crime he

American writers have expressed their political and social views through their writing by attempting to establish a voice separate from Britain’s. Their fear of individual and national failure and their thirst for power consumes them and is evident in their writing. Washington Irving and Herman Melville involve the occupation of lawyers and Justices to bring in a patriotic element to influence residents of the young country as a way to share their concerns and inspire ambition. Their usage of metaphors and metonymy subtly convey a message of hope to white residents while, deflating the optimism of the soon to be freed slaves. This essay will prove that a critical reading of Melville’s “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” and Irving’s “The Legend of

The narrator goes on to say that the the story is “no romance” indictating that Billy’s speech impediment destined him to his actions. The narrator states that such an “imperfection” is Billy’s only flaw, insinuating that this is his only flaw. Furthermore, Billy Budd did not only not understand what the Dansker was saying, but was also shocked at what he said. “everything at face value, never questioning the meaning of appearances. He is dumbfounded at the Dansker's suggestion, "incomprehensible to a no” (Johnson 573). Dansker tried to warn Billy about Claggart’s intentions, however Billy did not believe that Claggart could be so evil. The narrator characterizes Billy’s actions against the Red Whiskers as legitimate and the actions against

Herman Melville’s novels, with good reason, can be called masculine. Moby-Dick may, also with good reason, be called a man’s book and that Melville’s seafaring episode suggests a patriarchal, anti-feminine approach that adheres to the nineteenth century separation of genders. Value for masculinity in the nineteenth century America may have come from certain expected roles males were expected to fit in; I argue that its value comes from examining it not alone, but in relation to and in concomitance with femininity. As Richard H. Brodhead put it, Moby-Dick is “so outrageously masculine that we scarcely allow ourselves to do justice to the full scope of masculinism” (Brodhead 9). I concur with Brodhead in that remark, and that Melville’s