Billy Budd: Chapter 22 Summary & Analysis

The narrator lets the possibility of Vere's madness remain a rumor of uncertain veracity. The reversal of Claggart and Billy's roles shows how mixed up the case is and how difficult (if not impossible) coming to a just conclusion in the trial will be.

The narrator draws a contrast between the justice of the law, which Vere must follow, and "primitive" right and wrong. Vere's course of action is also determined by a practical concern to maintain the loyal morale of his sailors, and the fear that the story around Billy's action—the accusation of mutiny and Billy's violent reaction—might produce a real mutiny.

The members of the court rely on the truthful accounts of Captain Vere and Billy to make their decision. They are shocked that someone with as gentle a nature as Billy could kill someone.

Billy tells the truth, exposing Claggart's lies. Because of Billy's previous loyal behavior and good nature, Captain Vere believes him. (Again, though, one could argue that Claggart may too have been innocent: he may not have knowingly lied; he may have truly suspected Billy).

Billy again faces a difficult decision: he can either betray his shipmate and report him to the court, or fail to carry out his duty to his captain by not mentioning the after-guardsman. Billy chooses silence, and in doing so becomes a liar and, if there is a mutiny, a kind of accessory to it. It is ironic that Billy will be executed for innocently committing murder when he did indeed lie in court about a possible mutiny.

Billy's confusion might be taken as a sign of guilt, but it is really just an indication of his innocent, naïve nature. (Once more, one could respond to the narrator's intrusion about the meaning behind Billy's confusion and wonder if perhaps Billy really was guilty, though the evidence really does seem to point against such a conclusion.) Vere's dismissal of what could have motivated Claggart is interesting, as much of the story has been devoted to trying and not really succeeding at answering exactly that question. But in matters of justice Vere is asserting that it is not motivation that matters—it is not the thoughts of the individual that matter—but what actually happened.

Captain Vere puts aside his individual fondness for Billy and wishes to adhere strictly to the law. He advocates a conception of justice based only on Billy's action, though he is also influenced by a practical desire to conclude the trial quickly.

Captain Vere and the court must choose between their personal moral feelings and the law imposed by society. Vere encourages the members of the court to make a decision based on the law alone.

Vere admits that the question of justice in this case is a complicated one. How could someone as innocent as Billy deserve death? Nonetheless, he tells the court to follow the law, out of his sense of duty to the British navy.

The lieutenant wanting to convict but not punish seeks a loophole that would allow honoring justice while also recognizing the facts of the individual before the court. But punishment is a crucial part of the naval justice system, as it deters other sailors from committing crimes. Captain Vere worries that if they bend the law, sailors might be more inclined to behave disloyally, nearing mutiny.

The narrator leaves the question of whether Billy was justly convicted very open-ended. He is sympathetic to Billy, who is fundamentally innocent, but also notes that it is more difficult to reach a decision in the middle of such a matter, especially as Captain Vere and others had to weigh practical considerations of possible mutiny. The appearance of things shifts when you look back them from when you were in the midst of them.