10 questions on plot, characters, and themes. Free to take, so you can see exactly what to review before class.
1. Why is Billy Budd transferred from the Rights-of-Man to the HMS Bellipotent?
2. What is Billy's one significant physical or personal flaw?
3. What is Melville's explanation for John Claggart's hatred of Billy?
4. How does Billy respond when Claggart accuses him of plotting mutiny in Captain Vere's cabin?
5. What does Captain Vere recognize immediately after Billy strikes Claggart?
6. Why does Captain Vere argue that the drumhead court must sentence Billy to death despite believing in his moral innocence?
7. What are Billy's final words before his execution?
8. How does the official naval record portray Billy's death, and how does it differ from the sailors' account?
9. What does the Dansker's warning to Billy reveal about the difference between innocence and experience?
10. What does Billy's peaceful acceptance of death and his blessing of Vere suggest about Melville's view of goodness and sacrifice?
0 of 10 answered
How this guide is built
This guide is built from the original text to help you get oriented fast. It is designed for recall, paper planning, and getting unstuck, but it is still a paraphrased guide, not a substitute for the reading itself. Double-check anything important before you turn in formal work.
