In Billy Budd, Melville acts as a "Creator", by giving Billy Budd certain superhuman qualities that allow him to possess the traits of a servant of God. Billy Budd appears Christ-like because of his peace-making abilities. Although, he is a peacemaker who will fight for what he believes in to keep the peace and protect others.

In the beginning of the novel, when Red Whiskers gives Billy Budd problems, Billy strikes him with a powerful blow and does not have any more problems with him or the crew again. Melville uses this to foreshadow how Billy will react the next time he runs into a bully like Red Whiskers. It seems ironic of the names of the ships as we go along in the story. Billy Budd goes from the Rights-of-Man to Bellipotent, …show more content…
Claggart is jealous of Billy because he is young, handsome, and innocent. Melville suggests Claggart represents evil, the Devil, and Billy represents good, Christ. When Squeak, a corporal aboard ship, lies about Billy to Claggart, it causes more tension between Billy and Claggart. Claggart finally follows through on his attempt to ruin Billy when he sends an afterguardsman to offer Billy a bribe for his part in a mutiny attempt. Billy refuses and threatens to throw the man overboard. When Billy confides in his wise, old friend, the Dansker, who has already warned Billy that Claggart is out to get him, Billy leaves out part of the story. Later, Claggart tells Captain Vere that Billy planned a mutiny attempt with other sailors. When confronted in front of the captain and Claggart, Billy panics and hits Claggart so hard in the head, it knocks him out and kills him. Billy still held back the whole truth from the captain and everyone else and was sent to court. Although the captain knew of Billy's innocence, he did not want to take the chance of losing his respect and attitude of discipline. In court, Billy apologized for the death, but did not want to involve the afterguardsman, so he remained the guilty party. Captain Vere's testimony does not help Billy at all, but hurts him more. The guilty verdict and the hanging of Billy leaves the audience thinking, "What will happen next?”. Melville has suggested hypocrisy in Claggart and even the captain. Before Billy dies he says, "God bless Captain Vere!” Implying that Captain Vere did not realize what he has done, but may God bless him when he receives his punishment. The purser, whom earlier protested Billy being sent to court, implies Billy suffered from euthanasia (the act of painlessly ending the life of a person for reasons of mercy). Here Melville gives the air of a romantic, who disapproves of the form and structure of the