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Billy Buddd Morality Analysis

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Examining Morality, Discipline, and Law in Billy Budd, Sailor Billy Budd, Sailor is a classic American novel written by Herman Melville in 1891. Inspired by his earliest adventures at sea, Melville seeks to enlighten the reader with the relationships between a ship’s crew and her captain, along with the idealized “Handsome Sailor” (1) and the impact such a figure could have on a ship’s crew. Sailing for the British Navy in the eighteenth century was a risky business, especially during times of war. It was imperative that discipline be maintained at all times, with any threats to morale or discipline eliminated with speed and ruthlessness. Although most ship Captains of the time were seasoned sailors, maintaining this level of discipline …show more content…

What penalty for that should follow, they know. But it does not follow. Why? They will ruminate.” (77) Therefore, if Billy were given a lesser sentence the sailors would think about “the recent outbreak at the Nore”, (77) and as a result of that Great mutiny which rocked Britain, Veer believes a “clement sentence they would think would account pusillanimous. They would think that we flinch, that were are afraid of them – afraid of practicing a lawful rigour singularly demanded at this juncture lest it should provoke new troubles.” (77) If this line of thinking were allowed to propagate then the British Navy would quickly be in immediate danger of another Great Mutiny. This is the basis for Veers decision to execute Billy in order to avoid much larger potential unrest, and it is the best possible decision given the circumstances for if he had led Billy live, he would have lost the respect of his crew along with his authority over

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