Billy Budd Case
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Billy Budd
A powerfully portrayed theme throughout Billy Budd is innocence tainted by purity. Billys purity and innocence have been with the sailor his entire life and he himself has had everlasting effects on those around the young sailor “But Billy came; and it was like a catholic priest striking peace in an Irish shindy a virtue went out of him sugaring the sour ones.” (Melville 5). This appraisal from his current captain of The Rights of men exemplifies Billys good virtue and the effects such a virtuous man has on the people surrounding him. Billys only downfall is that he had never been exposed to any true evil, and as the novel progresses his first experience with a malevolent type person confuses and discomfort the saint-like man, “In his disgustful recoil from an overture which…he instinctively knew must involve evil of some sort, Billy Budd was like a young horse fresh from the pasture suddenly inhaling a vile whiff from some chemical factory..”(Melville 53) This new experience has Billy confused and his lack of confrontation with evil leaves him dumfounded as to what peoples true intentions are such as his Master-at-arms, Claggart. Though it is revealed Claggart has a natural evil, Billy seems bluntly unaware of the evil which resides in his Master-at-arms. This naïve personality prevents him from sensing Claggarts intentions and the ladder confrontation in the Captains quarterss brings about a phenomenal change in the saint like sailor when Claggaart charges him of leading a secret mutiny aboard the ship, the Bellipotent. Overcome with bewilderment and frozen by a speech impediment, all Billy can do to defend himself is strike Claggart with a hammering fist. The blow is one which is enough to kill Claggart and turn the once like saint into a cold murderer. “But captain Vere was now again motionless, standing absorbed in thought, again starting, he vehemently exclaimed Struck dead by an angle of God.”(Melville 73) The once pure and innocent soul of Billy Budd now turned by the natural evils of Claggart unable to hold back his anger and given no other option. Billy had been a saint in a place where he had been surrounded by corrupt virtues, and it had only been a matter of time before his innocence had been tainted by the evils which surrounded him. ” Guns and carriages, together with the long rammers and shorter linstocks lodged in loops overhead-all these ,as customary, were painted black…In contrast with the funeral hue of these surroundings, the prone sailors exterior apparel, white jumper and white duck trousers…each more or less soiled…”(Melville 95) Billys clothing being soiled is representative of Billys innocence now tainted by Claggarts death and a representation of good being tainted by evil.
One of the most outstanding themes in the novel Billy Budd is good vs. evil. It is an age old battle which is exemplified throughout the entire novel with a natural born good resonating within the protagonist Billy Budd and the natural born evil which resides inside of his Master-at-Arms, Claggart. The two do not instantly clash yet it is foreshadowed that Claggart has it out for the “handsome sailor” for no apparent reason. “With no power to annul the elemental evil in him though readily enough he could hide it; apprehending the good, but powerless to be it; a nature like Claggarts surcharged with energy…”(Melville 46) The natural evil inside Claggart spawns a hate for Billy Budd simply because of his natural good. “The old man, shoving up the front of his tarpaulin ….said Baby Budd, Jemmy legs is down on you”.(Melville 46) Billy, being the good man he is, has never encountered evil which makes it hard for him to recognize such. This inability to recognize such things is a true downfall for Billy although its a skill every sailor should have. “…soon teaches one that unless upon occasion he exercise a distrust keen in proportion to the fairness of the appearance, some foul turn may be served him”(Melville 57) An evil which Billy is unable to recognize in Claggart foreshadows the events to come. Once faced with the accusation of mutiny from Claggart the evil mans true character is finally seen by Billy Budd. “Meanwhile the accusers eyes, removing not yet from the blue dilated ones, underwent