Billy Budd: Was Captain Vere Right? Captain Vere made the right decision by executing Billy Budd.
If Captain Vere lets Billy live, the rest of the crew might get the impression that they will not be held accountable for their crimes. If the crew feels that they can get away with whatever they want, then there is a chance that they might form a rebellion and have a mutiny. A mutiny would destroy the stability and good name of the ship and the crew. Captain Vere does not want to see this happen.
There are three main reasons why Captain Vere made the right decision in executing Billy Budd. These reasons are: firstly, if Billy had lived, a mutiny might have occurred; secondly, the law states that a crime as severe as Billy’s is punishable by death; and thirdly, Captain Vere felt sorry for Billy and did not want him to suffer with guilt until a martial court could give a decision. If Billy had not been executed, corruption might have occurred on the ship, leading to a mutiny. Captain Vere knew that a mutiny might occur and did not want it to happen. It is possible that Captain Vere used Billy’s execution for his crime of killing Claggart as an example for the rest of the crew.
It shows the crew what will happen to them if they try to start a mutiny. After Billy’s death, Captain Vere obviously feels regret for executing Billy. Captain Vere’s last words, Billy Budd, Billy Budd” (p. 76), show an example of this.
Those last words might symbolize that Captain Vere killed Billy for the wrong reasons. If Captain Vere uses Billy’s death as an example to the rest of the crew, then it might not necessarily be the wrong reason. Captain Vere has to decide between one life and the lives of the entire crew. No matter what Captain Vere’s reasons are, he does make the right decision. Another reason Captain Vere might have executed Billy Budd is that Captain Vere follows the law to the letter. The law states that mutiny is punishable by death.
Some readers might not see this accidental murder as mutiny, but killing a superior officer in the British navy is considered mutiny. Captain Vere’s decision shows the crew that no infractions of the law will be tolerated. In the story, Captain Vere is described as never tolerating an infraction of discipline” (p. 16). This trait could be the reason for Billy’s death.
Another reason Captain Vere might execute Billy Budd is that he does not want Billy to suffer with his extreme guilt until a martial court can see his case. Captain Vere probably had a personal attachment to Billy. This is evident when Captain Vere says, Struck dead by an angel of God! Yet the angel must hang!” (p. 51).
This statement implies Captain Vere’s true feelings for Billy. If Captain Vere had let a martial court try the case, then they would most likely come to the same conclusion. Because of this fact, Captain Vere did not find it necessary to make Billy wait for a trial. Captain Vere made the right decision by executing Billy for his crimes. Although the decision was controversial, it kept stability among the crew. The crew’s fate is more important than any individual sailor’s fate.
If Captain Vere had made the opposite decision, there probably would be a very horrible fate for the Bellipotent. Billy Budd could be considered a tragic hero. In his short life, Billy touched more lives than most people do in their entire lives. Billy is somebody that most readers would agree is a tragic hero. Even though Billy Budd is great, Captain Vere made the right decision.
