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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does another sailor try to give Billy in chapter 14?

2. What is Billy's one weakness?

3. What decoration marks the Victory's quarterdeck?

4. What is Billy's responsibility on board the ship?

5. How do Captain Vere's officers view their commander's seafaring skills?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Melville contrast Billy and Claggart's characters?

2. How do ruling bodies on board a ship compare to ruling bodies on land?

3. Describe Billy's background.

4. Describe Captain Vere.

5. Describe John Claggart.

6. What incident is the catalyst for Billy's demise?

7. What is a mutiny?

8. Who is the afterguardsman?

9. Who is Starry Vere?

10. Which one of the seven deadly sins drives Claggart to destroy Billy?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

According to Melville, why are sailors more trusting than men who live on land? How does age and training relate to the trust Melville claims sailors exhibit? Why does Billy have a greater sense of trust than Claggart since both are sailors?

Essay Topic 2

How does Melville demonstrate the contrast between good and evil? Which characters and actions are used to represent good and evil? How is the war between good and evil represented in the novel? What affect does this war have on the characters?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Billy Budd's character with John Claggart's character. Which characteristics indicate that Billy is the protagonist? Which characteristics indicate that Claggart is the antagonist? What role does innocence, truth, mystery and deception play in their characters?

(see the answer keys)

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