文档介绍：-----Herman Melville
Billy Budd
Herman Melville
Humanity
divinity
Billy Budd (1885 -1891 ) unfinished
Ramond M. Weaver published 1st edition in 1924
2nd edition in1928
F. Barron Freeman
3rd edition 1948
Harrison Hayford and Merton M. Sealts's
double texts 1962
Characters
The handsome sailor
2. Inspires the men around him
3. Is falsely accused and condemned to die
Billy Budd
John Claggart
1. The ship‘s Master-at-arms(纠察长)
2. Evil by nature;
3. Incredibly petty jealousy
plot
Conflict : Claggart's jealousy
hatred
accusation
Climax : Billy kills Claggart
Suspense : The Trial and Execution
Ending : The Remembering of Billy Budd
Billy, an orphaned child, is adored by the crew, but for unexplained reasons arouses the antagonism of John Claggart, who falsely accuses Billy of conspiracy to mutiny.
When Claggart brings his charges to the Captain, the Hon. Edward Fairfax “Starry” Vere, Vere summons both Claggart and Billy to his cabin for a private confrontation.
When, in Billy’s and Vere‘s presence, Claggart makes his false charges, Billy is unable to find the words to respond owing to a speech impediment(口吃).
Unable to express himself verbally, he strikes and accidentally kills Claggart.
Vere then convenes a court-martial. He acts as prosecutor, defense counsel and sole witness (except for Billy himself).
He then intervenes in the deliberations of the court-martial panel(全体陪审员) to argue them into convicting Billy, despite their and his belief in Billy's innocence before God. (As Vere says in the moments following Claggart's death, "Struck dead by an angel of God! Yet the angel must hang!")
Vere claims to be following the letter of the Mutiny Act and the Articles of War.