Captain Vere In Billy Budd, By Herman Melville
Billy Budd, by author Herman Melville has many unique characters, allusions, and symbolism to make reading such a story a challenging adventure. One of those unique characters being Captain ‘Starry’ Vere. In Billy Budd Melville portrays a very sui generis perspective of Vere, that of one who is a worthy leader, but is unfortunately trapped by the law of his homeland.
Melville tells readers that Captain Vere was well liked both as a sailor and as an ordinary land walker. He was well known for showing people that sailors can live a different lifestyle other than such who dwells on a boat. “Aside from his qualities as a sea officer, Captain Vere was an exceptional character, unlike no few of England” (17). In this passage, readers are told that Vere had such an upstanding character while walking around on land, no one was able to notice that he was in fact a sailor. Many of those in the Navy also thought very highly of Vere. “Vere is a noble fellow… is at bottom scarce to find …show more content…
“But considerateness in such matters is not easy to natures constituted like Captain Vere’s. Their honesty prescribes them to directness, sometimes far-reaching like that of a migratory fowl that in its flight never heeds when it crosses a frontier”(Melville 19). Melville states that Vere has an internal magnet, drawing him to tell the truth and be honest “much like that of a migratory bird.” Melville also uses an allusion of Captain Vere to a bird flying south for the winter, as well as foreshadowing, showing the readers that there will come a time when Vere is put to the test, but the truth always prevails in any situation. The qualities, such as telling the truth and making logical decisions are all things one should desire from someone in a leadership
Melville tells readers that Captain Vere was well liked both as a sailor and as an ordinary land walker. He was well known for showing people that sailors can live a different lifestyle other than such who dwells on a boat. “Aside from his qualities as a sea officer, Captain Vere was an exceptional character, unlike no few of England” (17). In this passage, readers are told that Vere had such an upstanding character while walking around on land, no one was able to notice that he was in fact a sailor. Many of those in the Navy also thought very highly of Vere. “Vere is a noble fellow… is at bottom scarce to find …show more content…
“But considerateness in such matters is not easy to natures constituted like Captain Vere’s. Their honesty prescribes them to directness, sometimes far-reaching like that of a migratory fowl that in its flight never heeds when it crosses a frontier”(Melville 19). Melville states that Vere has an internal magnet, drawing him to tell the truth and be honest “much like that of a migratory bird.” Melville also uses an allusion of Captain Vere to a bird flying south for the winter, as well as foreshadowing, showing the readers that there will come a time when Vere is put to the test, but the truth always prevails in any situation. The qualities, such as telling the truth and making logical decisions are all things one should desire from someone in a leadership