A Conflicted End:Captain Vere’s Death in Mehlville’s “Billy Budd”

Any analysis seeking to understand the intricacies of Captain Vere’s death, must first display an adequate understanding of the noble Captain’s life, and the elements of his person from which a conflicted passing may arise. It is important to first note the life Captain Vere lead. He was regarded by all as a just and noble man, abundant in all the qualities of leadership, personality, and humility that draw persons to their leader. He was also very unique in possessing and projecting onto those around him a sort of dreamy persona as dictated by his nickname ‘Starry Vere.’ (Perkins 1634)
In fact, Vere’s dominant good qualities set him as a character parallel to Billy Budd himself, as opposed to the antagonistic Claggart. Herein Mehlville sets the stage for unforeseen conflict, as it is Vere, Budd’s counterpart in kindness and good nature that is ultimately faced with the difficult task of clinging to the principles that have always guided his life and ordering the dea...