Herman Melville is both the strength and weakness of the play "Billy Budd." In transposing his novel to the stage, authors Louis Coxe and Robert Chapman (who now teaches English 160) have preserved the moral depth and intensity that are outstanding in Melville. "Billy Budd" is a play of more than average significance and complexity. But even one who has assiduously avoided reading the novel in order better to judge the play on its own merit, cannot fail to recognize the hand of the novelist in what should be the playwright's handiwork.

The play is an attempt to understand the meaning of evil and good. Evil is present on board H. M. S. Indomitable in the year 1797 in the form of John Claggart, the Master-at-Arms. Claggart represents not merely human weakness and cruelty--he is simpler than that. Claggart is pure, malicious evil. His counterpart in good is Billy Budd, an ingenuous young sailor who is as kind and friendly as he is handsome. Claggart is an abandoned cynic who cannot see good in man, while Billy cannot recognize evil.

The conflict of these two prototypes is immediate. Billy seeks the friendship of the Master-at-Arms, and Claggart seeks the destruction of Billy. Between them stands Captain Edward Vere. He, alone of the three, can recognize both good and evil, and he is also the only real human being. When Billy strikes and kills Claggart, it is Vere who must judge the offender. Billy has "broken the compromise between good and evil" and order must be restored. The Captain can only ask Billy to "pray for those who must choose."

Symbolic characters can be used in a drama as well as in a novel, but on the stage they must be more than mere symbols. In "Billy Budd," Claggart and Billy never assume human complexity, and this is the greatest weakness of the play. The performance of Torin Thatcher as Claggart is an attempt to hint at a human character where, in reality, there is none. Charles Nolte is more successful as Billy because he does not exceed the narrow limits of the part. He is convincing in his simplicity. Dennis King is superb in the best conceived and written part, that of Captain Vere. His smallest gesture is sure and meaningful. King presents a lucid portrayal of a man torn between what should be and what must be. At the same time he preserves Vere's identity as a symbol, not of the ultimate good, but of the only good attainable on earth.

There is no love element to confuse the plot--"Billy Budd" has an all-male cast. But there are other distractions, apart from the distilled characters of Billy and Claggart. The early dialogue contains too many quick jumps from the humblest prose to polysyllabic poetry, and the first act is talkly and slowpaced. The last two acts, however, are far more convincing and dramatic. This improvement is probably due more to the appearance of Dennis King and better writing than to any effort by director Norris Houghton, whose work is often uninspired. Paul Morrison has designed some excellent, atmospheric sets.

"Billy Budd" is worth seeing. But it is not a play in the full sense of the word. It is a curious hybrid of drama and moral melodrama.