Billy Budd Herman Melville's Billy Research Proposal

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Thus, Melville clearly portrays Billy as the greatest of innocents, infused with godlike looks and a pure heart. As this type of a character is realistically unlikely, many readers can quickly interpret Billy to be, therefore, a symbol of innocence. Indeed, even in his hanging Billy's image remains intact, as his last words are: "God Bless Captain Vere" (1426).

This innocence, however, meets with the harsh ruling of justice. Indeed, as Billy leaves the merchant vessel, the Rights of Man, during his impressment, the author foreshadows that Billy, will, indeed loose his rights. As innocent as Melville paints Billy, he paints justice as gruesome. The circumstances that lead to Claggart's murder at Billy's hands are no fault of Billy's, and are planned by Claggart himself. From their first acquaintance, Billy finds himself "getting into petty trouble" because Claggart does not like Billy (1377). Furthermore, Claggarrt's determination to taint Billy's name with the accusation of conspiracy to commit mutiny was born, most likely, out of the master-at-arm's hatred for the young Adonis, a hatred that the readers can assume was as a result of his stunning physical and moral character.

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Thus, one can argue that punch Billy throws, which causes Claggartt his life, was actually caused by Claggartt himself, as the master-of-arms so confounded, astonished, and angered an innocent Billy. Indeed, Goldman calls the master-of-arms "a Satanic Claggartt whose destructive is disruptive, willful, and patently evil" (431). Despite these dark and gruesome happenings, however, Billy Budd suffers the most gruesome of fates hanging at sea. Thus, while Billy certainly received the just punishment for his actions, the gruesome nature of this justice superimposed against the purity of Billy's character allow Melville to suggest that justice is a subjective process, in which mitigating factors should play a role.

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