Moby Dick Characters

Ishmael

He is the narrator and a junior member of the crew of the Pequod. Ishmael doesn’t play a major role in the action of the novel, but his narrative of the events and analysis of people is keen. He believes in the spirit of Christian Brotherhood and doesn’t judge people for their religious background or skin color. A sensitive and philosophical man, his perspective is rich with detail and meaning.

Ahab

One of the most controversial characters in American literature, Ahab is the egomaniacal captain of the Pequod. He had lost his leg to Moby Dick, which starts his obsession with the killing of the whale. He is single-minded in his pursuit of the whale, using both charisma and terror to persuade his crew to join him. As a captain, he is dictatorial but not unfair. His crew members are devoted to him despite being convinced that this quest will lead them to their doom. His compassionate side is evident in his relationship with the cabin boy Pip and his fond memories of his wife and child back in Nantucket.

Moby Dick

Moby Dick is the giant sperm whale. To Ahab, he is the representation of evil and his nemesis. Critics debate the nature of Moby Dick—whether he is an allegorical representation of some eternal power, a reflection of Ahab’s life-long obsession, or literally, simply just a whale.

Starbuck

He is the first mate of the Pequod. He is a Quaker in his religious belief and thinks that Christianity offers a way to interpret the world around him. He is not dogmatic in his position and is a conservative force against Ahab’s monomania. He is the only one who questions Ahab on his obsessive mission; however, he acquiesces too.

Queequeg

He is Starbuck’s skilled harpooner and Ishmael’s best friend. He used to be a prince from a South Sea island who went away on a whaling ship for a life of adventure. He is a composite of elements of African, Polynesian, Islamic, Christian, and Native American cultures. A brave and generous man, he enables Ishmael to see that race has no bearing on a man’s character. Queequeg is a powerful symbol of friendship and diversity.

Stubb

Stubb is the second mate of the Pequod. He has a mischievous sense of humor and considers himself witty. A nihilist, he trusts fate implicitly and refuses to assign importance to events around him.

Tashtego

Tashtego is Stubb’s harpooner and is a Gay Head Indian from Martha’s Vineyard, one of the last of a tribe about to disappear. Tashtego performs many skilled tasks aboard the Pequod, such as tapping the case of spermaceti in the whale’s head. Similar to Queequeg, he embodies certain characteristics of the “noble savage” and is meant to defy racial stereotypes. However, he is less intellectual than Queequeg. Like most common sailors, Tashtego enjoys his rum.

Flask

He is a native of Tisbury on Martha’s Vineyard and is the third mate of the Pequod. Flask is short and stocky. He has a confrontational attitude and no reverence for anything. He is nicknamed the “King-Post,” because he resembles a certain type of short, square timber.

Daggoo

He is Flask’s harpooner. He is an African man with a big stature and is imperious-looking. Like Queequeg, he stowed away on a whaling ship that stopped near his home. Daggoo is less prominent in the narrative compared to Queequeg or Tashtego.

Pip

He is the cabin boy and initially doesn’t feature prominently in the novel. Later, he is driven insane after being abandoned during a whale hunt when he is left to drift alone in the sea for a while. Like Shakespeare’s fools, Pip is a half-idiot and a half-prophet, who sees things others don’t. His unusual insights into reality temporarily endear him to Ahab.

Fedallah

He is a Persian (a fire worshipper) who is brought on board by Ahab, unknown to most of the crew. He has a very striking appearance—he has a turban made from his own hair that is wrapped around his head. He wears a black Chinese jacket and a pair of pants. He is an almost supernaturally skilled hunter who is Ahab’s harpooner and serves as his prophet too. Fedallah keeps his distance from the rest of the crew, who are also uneasy in his presence. His prophecy regarding Ahab’s death ominously foreshadows the end of the novel.

Elijah

He is the cryptic prophet who sets a dark, mysterious tone early on in the novel. He alerts Ishmael about Ahab’s possible problems and secrets aboard the Pequod.

Peleg

He is a well-off retired whaleman from Nantucket and a Quaker. As one of the principal owners of the Pequod, Peleg, along with Captain Bildad, takes care of hiring the crew.

Bildad

Another well-to-do Quaker, Bildad is an ex-whaleman from Nantucket who owns a large share of the Pequod. His conversation with Peleg about Ishmael’s salary negotiation allows the author an opportunity for satire. Both men display a business sense and a bloodthirstiness that is unusual for Quakers, who are usually pacifists.

Father Mapple

He is a former whaleman and now is the preacher at the New Bedford Whaleman’s Chapel. He delivers a sermon on Jonah and the whale to address the whalemen’s lives. The message of the sermon is that we must disobey our own desires if we are to learn to obey God. Learned but also experienced, he is an example of someone whose trials have led him toward God rather than bitterness.

Captain Boomer

He is the cheerful captain of the English whaling ship, Samuel Enderby. Boomer had lost an arm in an accident involving Moby Dick. However, he considers himself lucky to have survived the encounter. He regards Ahab’s pursuit of the whale as madness. He serves as a foil for Ahab, as the two men respond to the same incident of their lives in two starkly opposite ways.

Gabriel

He is the raving Shaker prophet aboard the Jeroboam. Gabriel prophesizes that Moby Dick is the incarnation of the Shaker god and any attempts to harm him will end in disaster. His prophecies come true with the death of the Jeroboam’s mate in a whale hunt and the plague that rages aboard the ship. He correctly predicts Ahab’s final resting place.

Perth

He is the blacksmith aboard the Pequod. His story is an unusual departure for Melville as it is narrated with excessive sentimentality and predictability of a melodrama.