Holy Allusions in
Throughout the story "Billy Budd," the author Herman Mellville creates numerous biblical allegories with the events and characters that he devises. Billy Budd, a pure and innocent young man, is impressed by the "Bellipotent". On the ship he is adored by all of his crewmates except the ship's jealous master-at-arms John Claggart. Claggart's dislike for Billy grows into an intense hatred. During a confrontation between the two, Billy's stuttering problem takes over and he thrashes out physically. Billy accidentally kills Claggart and is sentenced to death. The life and death of Billy can be compared to the biblical figures of Jesus Christ and Adam. The story of Ananias from the Bible is also referenced by the jealousy of Claggart and his deceitful plan to destroy him. Captain Vere, like Pontius Pilate when he judges Jesus, knows Billy to be innocent but feels he must follow the law and put Billy to death. These biblical allusions as well as many others add depth to the story and emphasize the struggle between good and evil.A significant comparison in the novel is the portrayal of Billy as Adam before the fall. Much like Adam, Billy is oblivious to the surrounding evils until he encounters the serpent, Clagg
art. "Billy was like a young horse fresh from the pasture suddenly inhaling a vile whiff from some chemical factory, and by repeated snorting trying to get it out of his nostrils and lungs" (Melville 36). As for the evil temptation in the story of Adam, there are several comparisons between Claggart and the snake. When he approaches Billy, accusing him of planning mutiny, his eyes are compared to a serpents: "The first mesmeric glance was that of serpent fascination" (Melville 49). Another comparison is made when Claggart's body is being thrown into the sea. The surgeon says, "It was like handling a dead snake" (Melville 50). Billy's downfall is brought on by the temptations of Claggart, just as the downfall of man was brought on by the serpent's temptation to take an apple from the tree of knowledge. Before this encounter with evil, both were naive and innocent. Billy was often even described as a child in a man's body. Therefore, Billy's ingenuous nature and his first experience with the temptation of evil can be alluded to Adam before and during the fall. Through allusions to the bible, Melville creates a biblical allegory that intensifies the stories theme of good versus evil. By comparing Billy to Jesus Christ and Adam, the goodness and innocence of Billy can be displayed. Meanwhile, Claggart is alluded to the evils of the bible including the stories of Ananias and the serpent. These two opposing characters, Billy and Claggart, represent the conflicting evils and purities in mankind. Melville also discusses the temptations of evil by using the story of Adam and the serpent. He creates a focus on evil's corruption of innocence in Billy. Therefore, the biblical allusions throughout the story help to magnify the story's meaning with Melville's stress on good versus evil. One
Some common words found in the essay are:
Claggart Billy, Billy Budd, Father Christ, Jacob Joseph, Billy Claggart, Lamb God, Vere Billy, Pontius Pilate, Claggart Claggart's, Billy Vere, jesus christ, captain vere, pontius pilate, billy budd, lamb god, biblical allusion, biblical allegory, biblical allegories, captain vere pontius, kills claggart, innocence billy, creates biblical allegory, vere pontius pilate, jesus christ adam, melville creates biblical,
Approximate Word count = 1218
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
