ney into the Atlantic. Ahab soon reveals his devilish plan to his crew, however, in a frenzied attack of oratory — he wishes to seek, hunt, and destroy the White Whale, the fabled Moby Dick. It was the white whale Moby Dick which had, on Ahab’sprior voyage, ravenously devoured his leg, and Ahab harbored a resentful revenge on his persecutor. Any mention of Moby Dick sent Ahab into a furious rage (Melville 155). He riles against Starbuck, the first mate and Starbuck replies, “vengeance on a dumb brute! . . . to be enraged with a dumb thing, Captain Ahab, seems blasphemous” (Melville 155).It is through Ahab’s speech and his subsequent dialogue with Starbuck that a second major symbol is introduced into the story, Moby Dick. Blasphemy is irreverence toward God or something sacred, not irreverence toward a dumb brutish whale. Yet Starbuck accuses Ahab of blasphemy. Melville places this rather harsh accusatory word in the mouth of the Christian-minded Starbuck, directed at a devilishly revengeful Ahab. The only way actions taken against Moby Dick could be blasphemous is if he is sacred. Through indirect descriptions of Moby Dick and direct rantings of an insane man, Melville peppers Moby-Dick with hints and clues at the true essence Ahab sees behind the symbol of Moby Dick.According to sailors stories and legends, Moby Dick is seen in two places at once at different places around the globe. In this trait Melville is suggesting omnipresence, a godlike trait (Melville 172). The sailors think he is immortal, another godlike trait, because he has been harpooned many times and still lives (Braswell 152). Ahab himself believes Moby Dick’s power is outrageous, like God’s omnipotence. Ahab states in Chapter XXXVI, “that inscrutable thing [Moby Dick’s power] is chiefly what I hate”(Melville157). In addition to the godlike characteristics of omnipotence and omnipresence, Moby Di...
