Billy Budd Chapter 15 - 21

5. What is the tragedy of Chapter 19? Do you sympathize with Billy Budd? Why or why not?

The major tragedy of Chapter 19 is the death of Claggart. The other thing that I personally think is a tragedy is the fact that Billy burst, and was actually the one that killed Claggart by punching him in the face. I sympathize with Billy, but I also don’t.  I sympathize with him because I feel sorry for what he did, and I know that it was mostly not his fault that he did it. I also don’t feel sorry for him, because even though is temper and his anger is not something that he can control at all, or rarely control, I think that he should know how to deal with it, and be able to manage it. I think that Billy definitely did not purposely punch Claggart, and he most definitely did not intend to kill him by doing so. Billy’s anger and pent up emotions just got to a certain point when he heard what Claggart was blaming him for, and he just could not hold it in anymore.

7. Is justice served for Billy Budd? Why or why not? Who is to be thanked or blamed for the decisions of the court?

I believe that justice is served for Billy Budd. While I feel really sorry for him, I also think that he deserved what he got. If this had happened now days, I would say that Billy should have been helped and taught what the right thing to do was. However, this story is based a very long time ago, and that sort of thing was not an option. Billy killed someone, and was punished correctly for that offense. I think that Claggart and Captain Vere are to be blamed for the decisions made in court. Despite the fact that Claggart is dead, it is his false accusations that prompted this whole event in the start. As for Captain Vere, he is to be blamed because he was the sole witness of the event, and is the only one that can tell an accurate and precise story to the ‘judges’. He is the major influence in the courts decisions, and the one most responsible for the conviction of Billy and the resulting sentence.

I chose this picture because I believe it represents what happened to Billy when he punched Claggart. I think that Billy had all of this anger and resent (the water) built up inside of him, and when Claggart blamed him for what he did not do (the dart), he just couldn't hold it in anymore, and burst. 

http://www.lamajigme.com/images/bursting_balloon.jpg