In its words

Billy Budd quotes

5 quotes from Billy Budd by Herman Melville, each verified verbatim against the text and located in the book.

5 books shelved

And good-bye to you too, old Rights-of-Man!

— Billy Budd · Billy Budd in Herman Melville's Billy Budd (1924)

Struck dead by an angel of God. Yet the angel must hang!

— Captain Vere · Captain Vere in Herman Melville's Billy Budd (1924)

Could I have used my tongue I would not have struck him.

— Billy Budd · Billy Budd in Herman Melville's Billy Budd (1924)

God bless Captain Vere!

— Billy Budd · Billy Budd in Herman Melville's Billy Budd (1924)

Who in the rainbow can draw the line where the violet tint ends and the orange tint begins?

— The narrator · The narrator of Herman Melville's Billy Budd (1924)

More quotes

Every verified collection

Writers, books, and films — each line checked against its source.

About the book

Billy Budd

By Herman Melville (1924) — the story, the places, the editions.

Newsletter

Join our newsletter

New stories about art, literature and famous places around the world.