In the novel Billy Budd by Herman Melville, Captain Vere portrays a morally ambiguous character, and plays a very pivotal role. Vere isn't necessarily the villain throughout the novel, but isn't the good guy either. He kills Billy to prevent a mutiny and also persuades the court he calls into agreeing with the death sentence, but also is the captain of a ship and helps the ship run smoothly. When in a tough situation, Vere tends to fumble which shows common human nature. Vere isn’t purely good, as seen by the reader. In the scene where Claggart is killed, Billy strikes Claggart because Vere touches his shoulder, which was something Vere never did. He realizes that Billy had unintentionally given Claggart the sentence he deserved, but Billy