Super Short Summary

In Billy Budd, Sailor, Herman Melville tells the story of Billy, a naive and happy sailor who is impressed into service on the British warship Bellipotent. Despite his good nature and diligence, Billy is falsely accused of mutiny by John Claggart, the ship's master-at-arms. Captain Vere convenes a court, which ultimately sentences Billy to death by hanging, leading to his tragic demise. The novella explores themes of morality versus law, the vulnerability of innocence, and the tension between the individual and the group.