Billybudd

&The Symbolism Within Essay, Research Paper

In the book “Billy Budd”, written by Herman Meville, there are many references to the bible. Billy Budd, the main character, is portrayed as a biblical figure that is caught in the real world of war and mutiny. There are also many other different types of symbolism throughout this book.

The story starts out in the eighteenth century, on the H.M.S Rights-of-Man, a British naval ship. Billy Budd is pressured into service on a warship, the H.M.S. Bellipotent and here is where his life changes forever.

Melville uses Biblical allusions in defining his characters. There are obvious symbolic references of Billy Budd as a Jesus figure, or as Adam in the Garden of Eden. But what role does Claggart play in this Biblical metaphor. Claggart is carefully described throughout the story as having a dark and sinister countenance. Physically, his face is pale and sickly, his hair black. He contrasts greatly with the rosy cheeks, and blonde hair of Billy Budd. Because of his pallid complexion, Claggart stays out of the sun most of the time. Therefore, he is often described as surrounded by darkness, and lurks in the shadows of the ship, much like a snake spends much time hiding under rocks. In addition, Claggart is responsible for the false accusations of Billy’s involvement with the mutiny.

In the Biblical allegory of this story, Claggart fits into the role of the serpent in the Garden of Eden, whose devious and evil spirit helps bring about the fall of Adam and Eve. In the Biblical story, the serpent convinces Eve to take the fruit that God has commanded her not to eat, promising that it will bring her God-like powers. Here, Claggart is similar to the serpent in his deceitfulness, telling Captain Vere that Billy Budd is implicated in the ship’s mutiny. Billy actually attempted to subdue the attempts of a mutiny by refusing to accept the two gold pieces offered to him to take part. But the evil Claggart easily distorts even Billy’s innocent and noble deeds. Claggart’s contempt towards Billy is never explained, so the reader is left to believe that there is an innate evilness about Claggart that leads him to target Billy as his enemy. The vision of Claggart as a serpent symbol is apparent again. In the Bible there was no justification of the serpent’s treachery in tricking Eve, Claggart has no real reason to hate Billy, except possibly the jealousy that he feels towards Billy’s handsome appearance and innocent spirit.

Of the several different Biblical figures that Billy represents, his physical description in the beginning of the story most strikingly matches those of Adam. The picture of perfect beauty, Billy is a sweet, innocent young man that has never been exposed to the corruption of the world. When Billy is impressed to join the ship the Bellipotent, he cheerfully waves good-bye to his first ship, The Rights of Man. Symbolically, Billy is waving good-bye to his own rights and happiness. Like Adam in the Garden of Eden, Billy was in a place where he had everything he could want. He was loved and appreciated by his crewmates, who saw him as a refreshing source of kindness and compassion. Billy makes the transition onto a war ship where he is surrounded by corruption. In essence, Billy loses all of the things that supported and encouraged his innocent spirit.

When Claggart accuses Billy for being apart of the mutiny he becomes unable to speak, and he strikes Claggart hard, more out of shock than anger. This scene represents Billy’s fall from innocence, just as eating the fruit marked Adam’s fall from grace. Adam lived contently in the Garden of Eden, but eventually the pressures of the evilness around him caused him to eat the forbidden fruit, ending his life of perfection, and tainting him with sin. Billy too, was taken from a life of happiness, and thrown into a place of deceit and corruption. For a long time he remained innocent and pure, but his individual innocence could not prevail over the corrupt society of the ship.

The deaths of both Claggart and Billy are fitting to their symbolic figures as Biblical characters throughout the story. For example, Claggart who represents the serpent in the Bible is killed by Billy in the manner that a snake would be killed. When Billy strikes Claggart, he hits him with a fast, sharp blow to the head. Although it does not seem common that a man would die after one blow to the head, it suits the character of Claggart to die in that manner, because it is the only way to kill a snake. When Claggart dies, Billy and Captain Vere attempt to prop his body up on a chair, but he slides back down onto the floor. His death is a divine judgment by God, punishment for all of his deceit and bitterness. After the doctor sees him, his body is dragged out of the cabin of the ship to be given a burial at sea. Once again, there is the serpent imagery of Claggart slithering across the floor, just as the serpent in the Bible was condemned by God to slither across the ground to represent its lowliness.

On the other hand, Billy’s death is suited to his character as a Christ figure. When he is sentenced to die, his expression is one of complete calmness and acceptance, just as Jesus was prepared to sacrifice himself for the world. Billy’s silence and complacency with his harsh fate are truly admirable characteristics that Jesus alone possessed. His imminent death se