Melville is skillfuly able to convey that ;environment and adaptation is rather important than

heritage in survival. Thats the reason he doesnt give any family backgrounds of Billy or
Claggart.Emphasising on presence and serving on a warship gives the needed clues to find out that
the most problematic things are decisions and relations between individuals and society and then
the nature they deal with .
Through all the confronted events on the ship ,their reactions and relations helps us to recognize
their personality identities.For instance ,Billy through his interacts with other members or the
ship’s community is realized a kind and naive person .But what is important about him ,comes out
through the Melville’s sentences and that is the fact that Billy was not encouraged to develop his
own thoughts and wisdom.During the story and especially by the sentences “Jemmy legs!...” we
see that Billy’s weakness of stutting and refusal of learning are what ,that the captain Vere as a
wise man is aware of them.
Vere calls him “peace maker” but Claggart acusses him for mutiny,Claggart’s weakness in his
attitudes is clearly shown in his negative perspective that he could not promot his character to
cope with others,mainly with Billy .He overtly shows his hatred ,easily changes the truths and
plots behind Billy.Although it is an unbelievable news but is a good plan to ruin Billy,because
Claggart is getting benefit from the chance of being in the emergency of war era and makes
captain ,the highest rank of the ship,to decide urgently but Being wise captaine Vere says : “heed
What you speak,just now,and ....”
Similar to Claggart ,Vere knows that mutiny is a heavy crime to be accuse of ,but unlike
Claggart ,Vere likes Billy very much and wants to prove that he was right of calling Billy
“peacemaker” .Vere creates a condition in which Billy and Claggart confront,so he could avoid
any wrong and bad decision in solving the plot.He also knows that in a millitary or Navy system
,this is the regulation which brings security,although they may cause some restrictions.There is no
way for any conflict under the supervision of Vere’s deciplines,thats why he wants Billy to defend
himself ,by saying: “speak,man !” this is a good chance for Billy to show that he is a peace maker
but he owns the stutter weakness. Vere is aware of his weakness so gives him a better chance by
saying “take your time,....” Vere wants to help him ,but cant dictate Billy how he react at the time
of crisis,in fact this is Billy who should benefit the given chance in a peace maker way not in
violence.
Billy made a mistake and reacted in a way that was fully his own decision ,no boddy orderd
him how to react.He killed Claggart ,evenif dosent want such a thing,but with a wrong
passionately answer caused a situation of peace breaking .Billy could not adapt the environment
and became a loser ,he is not a man who can survive ,he is not too smart,strong or wise ,soif one is
not able to adapt and use the chances ,he should wait for its results .in other words this is the
person himself who makes his destiny ; if it is the way ,thats the way it is. Therefore Billy has to
says : “God bless captain Vere”
May be thats whay Vere repeats Billy’s name at the last moments of his life ,perhaps he
blames himself for calling Billy to face Claggart and giving him such a chance to kill Claggart.