Part one of term paper
The hanging of Billy in Melville’s Billy Budd was a questionable and complex decision made by Captain Vere. Captain Vere, or “starry Vere,” chose to coincide with the law rather than spare Billy to make himself happy. The hanging of Billy was necessary for order to remain on the ship and for justice to prevail. Billy Budd, also known ...

Part two of term paper
... was described to be a “sweet, pleasant fellow” (pg. 5). Vere liked Billy as much as the others, “…they all loved him!” (pg. 6) Because of this, he wondered what the best choice was: save Billy, or hang him. The decision to hang Billy was, in retrospect, the right one. If Captain Vere chose not to hang Billy, no one would have learned from his/her mistakes-including Billy himself. Lack of punishment can lead to severe problems; today, for example, the actions of Bill Clinton are com ...