Billy Budd, Sailor

Billy dozes on deck when a figure wakes him. An anonymous sailor asks Billy to meet him on a higher deck. When they meet, Billy sees that the man is the ship’s afterguardsman, another sailor who was forced into service. The man vaguely asks if Billy might be interested in joining a potential mutiny, should one occur. Billy doesn’t understand the question. When the man offers Billy two coins as clarification, Billy threatens to throw the man into the ocean if he doesn’t leave him alone. Frightened, the man obeys. Billy stutters while he orders him away, which alerts the forecastleman to his distress. Billy tells the man that he sent a trespasser back to his station. Another forecastleman appears to say that Billy should have been sterner, but Billy convinces them that he was severe enough.

Billy’s conscience troubles him, as he has no experience with guile. The bribe of the two coins confuses him, and he doesn’t know where the man came by the coins at sea. He is so confused that he believes the situation is wholly evil, and because of this, he wants to avoid it entirely. The next day, Billy thinks he sees the afterguardsman, but can’t be certain that it’s the man he spoke with in the night. The man nods at Billy. Two days later, he greets Billy again. Surprised, Billy doesn’t return the greeting. When Billy tells the Dansker about his situation, he says that Claggart wants Billy to fall, but refuses to elaborate.

Billy naively refuses to suspect Claggart of malicious intent. The narrator then characterizes unsophisticated sailors as immature beings, similar to children. He implies that if Billy had even a small proclivity for darkness, he would not be surprised by the corrupt actions of others. He writes that on land, people naturally learn to distrust others, to the point that it becomes so natural that people would be surprised if anyone mentioned it. Distrust is taken for granted in most human interactions.

Claggart continues his campaign, although there is a lull in the crew’s persecution of Billy. Claggart is pleasant to Billy’s face but vicious behind his back. Billy remains clueless, accepting whatever Claggart says as the truth. Most sailors have enough ill-temper in them to recognize false cheer, but Billy doesn’t. He doesn’t suspect people of dark motives because he has none. The armorer, the captain of the hold, and two officers who know Claggart all begin to suspect and dislike Billy.

The Bellipotent encounters an enemy ship, which is small enough that its captain flees. After they stop chasing the ship, Claggart requests a talk with Vere, which is unusual. This makes Vere uneasy, but he accepts. Claggart claims to have heard rumors of a mutiny and reminds Vere of the Nore Mutiny. Vere doesn’t appreciate how tactless and familiar Claggart is, particularly when discussing a subject as sensitive as the Nore Mutiny. When pressed, Claggart names Billy as the key conspirator. This surprises Vere, who knows that the crew members love Billy. Claggart claims that Billy’s pleasantness is a ruse to hide his darker intentions.

Vere suspects Claggart of embellishing the situation. When he asks for evidence, Claggart says that he can provide it and more. Vere hesitates and sends a boy to bring Billy to him without telling him the reason. He sends Claggart below deck while he waits, instructing him to return when Billy is present.

Billy meets in the cabin with Claggart and Vere. When Vere tells Claggart to repeat his accusation, Billy is stunned at the articulation and conviction of Claggart’s lies. He is so surprised that he doesn’t defend himself when Vere asks for a response. Vere remembers Billy’s stutter and relents in his questioning. Billy shakes and contorts as he tries to respond. Overcome with frustration and rage, he hits Claggart in the forehead with his fist. Soon, Claggart dies of the wounds sustained from the blow and from the impact of his head hitting the ground. After the surgeon’s pronouncement of death, Vere claims that Claggart was killed by the judgment of an angel, but now the angel must die.

After having Claggart’s body removed, Vere orders the surgeon to tell the lieutenants and the captain about the incident but to keep quiet otherwise. With anxious reluctance, the surgeon agrees.

The surgeon worries about Vere’s mental state. He thinks that Vere is being hasty and irrational. He would prefer to hold Billy captive until the admiral—Vere’s superior—can hear the case. Unfortunately, the surgeon’s rank is too low for him to openly question Vere’s orders. When the surgeon tells the lieutenants and captains what has happened, they share his opinion and would also prefer to wait for the judgment of the admiral.