Moby-Dick Characters

A preacher at the Whaleman’s Chapel, in New Bedford, Father Mapple urges the sailors, through the Biblical story of Jonah and the Whale, to “do their duty,” and to obey their captains while at sea.

Ahab’s second mate, Stubb is a gifted whaler and a free spirit, often seen smoking his pipe while doing difficult tasks. Stubb thinks Ahab is mad, but decides he has no problem following Ahab’s orders to find and kill Moby Dick.

Ahab’s third mate, Flask is mostly known as a “mediocrity,” neither as cautious as Starbuck nor as gifted at whaling as Stubb.

One of the ship’s “heathen” harpooneers, Tashtego is a Native American from Martha’s Vineyard. Tashtego is the last of the Pequod’s crew to fall beneath the waves when the ship sinks.

The third of the ship’s “heathen” harpooneers, Daggoo hails from Africa, and is believed to be a “savage” by some of the crew-members.

One of the Pequod’s owners, Peleg warns Ishmael that Ahab is a strange captain and is perhaps mad.

Another of the Pequod’s owners, Bildad is known for his overt religiosity, and for his desire that Queequeg convert to Christianity before becoming a member of the Pequod’s crew.

One of the managers of the Try-Pots Inn in Nantucket, Mrs. Hussey helps to get Ishmael and Queequeg settled as they are en route to their sea voyage on the Pequod.

Radney, first mate of the Town-Ho and enemy to Steelkilt, opposes his mutiny, but is killed by Moby Dick during the attempted hunt.

One of the ship’s cooks, Fleece is teased by Stubb for over-cooking the whale-meat Stubb has skinned from a whale he recently caught.

Captain of the Samuel Enderby, Boomer has lost an arm to Moby Dick, just like Ahab has lost a leg. But unlike Ahab, Boomer does not hold a grudge against the whale, believing Moby Dick is only a “brute animal.”

A “prophet” who speaks to Ishmael and Queequeg before they board the Pequod, Elijah warns them of Ahab’s madness, and of a shadow-crew, led by Fedallah, whom Ahab has snuck aboard the vessel.

Greatly skilled at his craft, the Pequod’s carpenter is asked to fashion Ahab a new leg out of whale ivory, and to make a coffin for Queequeg, which is later sealed and used as the ship’s life buoy.

The ship’s blacksmith, Perth is asked, by Ahab, to manufacture a new harpoon Ahab can use to kill Moby Dick.

Another prophet on the ship the Jeroboam, Gabriel warns his captain, Mayhew, and his first mate, Macey, not to hunt Moby Dick, since that whale is the “God of the Shakers.”

Captain of the Jeroboam, Mayhew does not listen to Gabriel’s warning, and Macey, the first mate, dies as a result, knocked off the decks by Moby Dick.

First mate of the Jeroboam, and killed by Moby Dick, Macey is another of the novel’s characters to be murdered, mangled, or made to disappear by the whale.

A whaler of little skill and captain of the Virgin, Derick has a hard time catching any whales, and does not obey whaling etiquette, attempting to take some of the whales that the Pequod had been hunting.

A king on the island of Tranque. Ishmael reports that, after the events of the novel, he met with Tranquo and saw the king’s whale skeleton, which measured 72 feet in length.

The owner of the Spouter Inn, where Ishmael meets Queequeg.

The owner of the Try Pots Inn on Nantucket.

Queequeg's god, represented in a little wooden idol.

Bildad's sister.