decided what to do after Billy Budd killed the Master-at-arms‚ John Claggart. Everyone agrees that Captain Vere sympathized with Billy‚ but some people believe that being an abject slave of one’s emotions and a miserable prisoner of one’s feelings and the so called mistaken impulse of the heart‚ should be considered greater than the sacred call of duty and the honour in keeping an oath to uphold the king’s law. Captain Vere should have sentence foretop man‚ Billy Budd to death for three reasons
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Duty Versus Choice in Billy Budd‚ Sailor The novel Billy Budd‚ Sailor is the story about the encounter of Billy Budd‚ a beautiful sailor who is popular on the warship Bellipotent‚ and finally died‚ because he killed the master-at-arms‚ Claggart‚ inadvertently. Actually Captain Vere‚ the captain of Bellipotent‚ likes Billy Budd‚ also‚ he knows that Billy is innocent. But according to his duty on the ship as a captain‚ he decides to push Billy to death. In the late 1700s‚ in Great Britain‚
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In the story Billy Budd‚ By Herman Melville‚ readers are introduced to the conflict of good and evil between Billy Budd and Claggart. However‚ there is another conflict‚ which‚ in ways is more significant than the epic clash of good and evil. The conflict of Captain Vere’s struggle between duty and conscience; Melville sets up this conflict by placing a man with the innocence of a child‚ in the hands of a captain worried about war. This moral dilemma brings forth the question of whether or not Captain
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Relevance of The Crucible & The Scarlet Letter Today The Crucible and the Scarlet Letter are two old stories set in a middle age America that had many problems with its evolution including proclaimed witches. These stories represent the natural differences between society as a whole and the individual they either help or abandon. The Crucible focused on how an individual could never win against a society unless they get help from another society. The Scarlet Letter represents the difficulties of
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found in Herman Melville’s Billy Budd. Captain the Honorable Edward Fairfax Vere is that man. In Melville’s Billy Budd‚ Captain Vere’s mind is pulled in two conflicting directions: following the rules or acting on his affections for Billy Budd. It becomes obvious throughout the book that Vere has a knack for law and order‚ he wants everything to be done by the book; being a military man‚ this seems natural. It is also apparent that Captain Vere has a liking for Billy Budd. He admires the handsome
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” Abraham Lincoln. Captain Vere should not have sentenced Billy Budd to death for three reasons: it was involuntary manslaughter‚ Captain Vere was under too much pressure to make that kind of decision‚ and Claggart consistently harassed Billy. As defined from the Merriam-Webster dictionary online‚ involuntary manslaughter is‚ “the unlawful killing of a human being without express or implied malice.” According to this definition‚ what Billy did was not murder‚ a capital crime‚ and therefore they should
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Ratcliffe conscripts one sailor and that sailor is‚ Billy Budd‚ who is willing to serve his country. As he exits‚ he hollers for the Rights of Man by name and says his goodbyes. On the Bellipotent‚ Billy takes over the job of the foretopman. Claggart‚ who is the master of arms‚ has a appearance that is calm‚ but deep down he has evil intentions. Claggart is friendly toward Billy at first and Billy thinks he seems content with his performance. Billy is surprised later when he is judged by Claggart for
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The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible are two books about an illegal act that negatively affected a group of Puritans‚ during the 17th century. In The Scarlet Letter‚ the narrator tells a story about a woman who commits adultery with her lover and decides to live away from the other Puritans. In The Crucible‚ a man hides his sin from the Puritans in Boston‚ which ultimately leads to the Salem Witch Trials. Proctor and Dimmesdale are main characters in the books who face physical and mental problems
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The story of Billy Budd focuses on the distinction between laws of nature and laws of society. Billy Budd is a seaman for the British Royal Navy that is forced off his current ship‚ to a new ship and new crew. Billy’s primary quality is his extraordinary innocence. One of his main weaknesses is his lack of ability to comprehend evil and become blind due to his kindness. This along with his speech impediment ultimately leads to Billy’s demise. Due to his good looks and natural charisma‚ he becomes
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The Scarlet Letter Motif: Words and names for the Scarlet Letter Chapter 1: Chapter 2: 1. “‘But she—the naughty baggage—little will she care what they put upon the bodice of her gown!’” (49) CM: Like many Puritan women in Boston‚ this woman illustrates the hate they all have for Hester Prynne‚ by declaring that Hester is unmoved by her sin. 2. “‘Ah‚ but‚” interposed‚ more softly‚ a young wife‚ holding a child by the hand‚ "let her cover the mark as she will‚ the pang of it will be
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