It too, was not received well at the time. In the years that followed, Melville continued writing poetry and in 1876 came out with Clarel, a remarkably long religious work (longer than the Iliad or Paradise Lost), based on his previous trip to the Holy Land. He got along poorly with his son Malcolm, who in 1867 shot himself, and was found by Melville after he failed to appear from his bedroom. At one point his wife talked of faking a kidnapping as a way of fleeing the situation. They each have communication problems that play a part in their deaths. The author wrote many books and penned poetry in his later years. Herman Melville was an American author born on Augin New York, New York. Conscience Versus Law Although a number of the characters in Billy Budd possess strong individual consciences fundamentally, the people on the ship are unable to trust one another. Donald Yannella, author of New Essays on Billy Budd, says that at the heart lies an obsession with justice,' as is exhibited in Herman Melville’s classics, Moby Dick and Billy Budd, Sailor. There are three traits that tie Captain Ahab and Billy Budd together even though they are on different sides in the fight between Good and Evil. Melville seems to suggest that ultimately, the individual’s attempt to assert himself in the face of society will prove futile. As if to prepare us for the shock of this account, Melville. His mood swings and the mistreatment of his family led some to compare him to the despotic sea captains in his novels 2. Melvilles characters are distinct individuals that have some similarities and differences. Claggart is motivated only by a strong patriotic impulse and Billy Budd by extreme depravity. Some have considered him a heavy drinker while others have suggested that this has been exaggerated 1. The degree to which drinking contributed is not clear. By 1867 his moodiness and ill-temper left his home life a shambles. Though later considered a classic of American verse, at the time it sold poorly-less than 500 copies in the first years-returning only half of the expense of publication, and contributing further to his financial straits. Melville turned to poetry, and in 1866 published at his own expense ‘Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War’.

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