Use of Irony in Melville's "Billy Budd"

 

Irony indicates the discrepancy between the anticipated and the real. Billy Budd deals with three kinds of irony.

1. irony in plot and situations:- the great irony is that a sailor is forced to join a warship Bellipotent/ the Indomitable. The sailor Billy did not commit the murder of Claggart deliberately but is executed. Thus, an unflawed tragic man meets his end.


2. irony in the end:- the last three chapters of the novella deal with irony . the first of these records the death of Captain Vere some days after the capture of the Athee. His dying words are “Billy Budd Billy Budd”. This signifies that his conscience has been pricking him since he gave the judgment of condemning Billy to death by hanging. The second of the last three chapters records the news published in “News from the Mediterranean” where a reversed version of Billy’s death is given. It is written that Claggart is murdered by Billy Budd, and Billy is called a ‘traitor’ whereas it was totally different in reality. The last chapter is again ironical. The gallows where Billy was hanged, the chips of it were cherished by the sailors as pieces of a cross. In his honour a ballad was composed. He is immortalized as a saint and his death is presented as a crucifixion.



3. irony of characters:- the greatest irony is that Captain Vere, a man of justice is not able to do justice. He does injustice by punishing and hanging Billy, despite his knowledge that Billy personifies goodness and innocence. Vere takes his responsibility too literally, that he acts too quickly when he might have prevented Budd's death. The story contains ironic moments. Vere states that Claggart’s death is a divine judgment. By these words Vere alludes to the fact that Billy is an angel. But he still sentences this angel to death. Ultimately, we find him torn between what is right and what he does. This leads him to momentary insanity.


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