In the story Billy Budd, By Herman Melville, readers are introduced to the conflict of good and evil between Billy Budd and Claggart. However, there is another conflict, which, in ways is more significant than the epic clash of good and evil. The conflict of Captain Vere's struggle between duty and conscience; Melville sets up this conflict by placing a man with the innocence of a child, in the hands of a captain worried about war. This moral dilemma brings forth the question of whether or not Captain Vere was justified in the hanging of Billy Budd.
In a description of Captain Vere it can be anticipated that Vere, who values peace and common good, would be in conflict with his job, which requires him to be a militaristic authoritarian (Wikipedia 2). Captain Vere learns important lessons when innocent hands bring about destruction of life. Vere was moved by his beckoning duty as captain, to convince the drumhead court to convict Billy Budd. This is clearly stated in this quote:......

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Title: Billy Budd & Captain Vere
Approximate Word Count: 1213
Approximate Pages: 5 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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