Billy Budd is a young sailor aboard the British warship, the HMS Bellipotent, during the Napoleonic Wars. He is a handsome, innocent, and naive young man who is admired by all the crew. The ship's master-at-arms, John Claggart, is a cruel and vindictive man who takes an immediate dislike to Billy. Claggart accuses Billy of inciting a mutiny, and Billy, unable to defend himself, strikes Claggart, killing him. Billy is brought before a court-martial and sentenced to death. Despite the pleas of the crew, the captain is forced to carry out the sentence. Billy accepts his fate with dignity and courage, and his death is seen as a martyrdom by the crew.
By Herman Melville · First published 1886 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Adventure · 30 chapters