Critical Essay On Billy Budd Essay Research

Critical Essay On Billy Budd Essay, Research Paper

Critical Essay on Billy Budd

Charles Reich & # 8217 ; s appraisal of the struggle in Billy Budd focuses on the

differentiation between the Torahs of society and the Torahs of nature. Human jurisprudence says

that work forces are & # 8220 ; the sum sum of their actions, and no more. & # 8221 ; Reich uses this as a

footing for his averment that Billy is guiltless in what he is, non what he does.

The point of the novel is hence non to analyse the good and evil in Billy or

Claggart, but to set the reader in the place of Captain Vere, who must

construe the Torahs of both adult male and nature.

Reich supports Vere & # 8217 ; s determination to hang Billy. In defence of this he

alludes to a celebrated English tribunal instance, in which three work forces were accused of

slaying. However, the fortunes which led them to slay were beyond their

control ; they had been stranded at sea and forced to kill and eat their 4th

comrade, who had fallen ailment and was about to decease anyhow. The Judge, Lord

Coleridge, found them guilty because & # 8220 ; jurisprudence can non follow nature & # 8217 ; s rule of

self-preservation. & # 8221 ; In other words, necessity is non a justification for violent death,

even when this necessity is beyond human control. Since Billy is unable to

defend himself verbally, he & # 8220 ; responds to pure nature, and the dictates of

necessity & # 8221 ; by floging out at Claggart. I agree with Reich & # 8217 ; s impression that Vere was

correct in hanging Billy, and that it is society, non Vere, who should be

criticized for this opinion ; for Vere is forced to reject the goads

of his

ain bosom and his values to follow with the adhering Torahs of adult male.

First, the moral issue aside, Captain Vere had no pick but to convict

Billy. As captain of a ship under force per unit area of war and the changeless menace of

mutiny, Vere had to move fleetly. Besides, as captain, Vere had the duty

of doing certain the Torahs were purely enforced, including the Mutiny Act.

Although Vere knew in his bosom Billy was guiltless, Billy & # 8217 ; s actions had to be

punished.

For Vere to hold acquitted Billy would intend that he had placed the

godly jurisprudence of nature above the Torahs he was bound to implement as captain of a

British ship. Although this would hold been morally right, who is to state where

to pull the line? This rhetorical inquiry is what Melville wants his readers to

think about. Melville could hold easy written in the secret plan that Vere went along

with the captain & # 8217 ; s suggestion to name informants. With the testimonies of Dansker,

the afterguardsman, and Squeak, Billy could hold been cleared of the mutiny

charge. But I agree with Reich that Melville wanted to utilize Billy as an illustration

of the defects in the Torahs of society ; that they do non take into history the Torahs

of nature. However, until we reform our Torahs in such a manner that we can non be

punished for something out of our control, we can non anticipate the Torahs to be

interpreted that manner.

Bibliography

Charles A. Reich, & # 8220 ; The Tragedy of Justice in Billy Budd, & # 8221 ; Critical Essaies on

Melville & # 8217 ; s Billy Budd, Sailor, pp. 127-143