Billy Budd, Sailor by Herman Melville is a critically acclaimed short story set on the shores of England in the last decade of the 18th century. The plot revolved around a young sailor, Billy Budd, who was taken from the ship he was originally on, The Rights of Man, and was oppressed on a British warship named HMS Billopotent. Many allusions were used throughout the short story that enhanced the meaning of this great work. The allusions used concern myths, the Bible, History and other literary works. All together they illuminate the true meaning of the entire story. Biblical allusions have been used vividly throughout this work. In fact, a significant reference was made between Billy Budd, the protagonist, and John Claggart, Billy's Foil, throughout the film. Billy Budd has been compared to Adam from the Garden of Eden and John Claggart to a serpent which would refer to Satan. From the reader's perspective, Herman Melville used this to evoke associations between the two characters and the Bible. Billy was like Adam from the Garden of Eden because he was often portrayed as a complete innocent. John Claggart, on the other hand, was portrayed as someone who had a docile exterior, but an evil and sinister interior. Additionally, there was another great reference that involved another important character, Captain the Honorable Edward Fairfax Vere, who was related to God with Billy related to Jesus. How? According to the Bible, God had to sacrifice his own son Jesus Christ to gain obedience for his Kingdom. In Billy Budd, Sailor, Vere was seen as possessing strong feelings of care for Billy, almost as a father would for his son. Vere had an internal conflict that led him to choose between Billy staying alive or dying...... middle of paper......opotent was. In conclusion, it was evident that this great literary work provides many allusions which provide a reference to a more familiar work and help us understand the meaning of the work more clearly. Although not all allusions address the full meaning of the work, they illuminate a broader perspective of the characters, setting, and tone. Yet many allusions have illuminated the entire meaning of the short story, and even if the true meaning remains ambiguous, they still reflect what most readers take to be the meaning. The meaning of Herman Melville's well-known masterpiece is that the one who suffered is not really the one who suffers, but the one who caused the suffering is really the one who suffers. Works CitedMelville, Herman. Billy Budd, sailor. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 1988. Print.