Moby Dick; Or, The Whale

Moby Dick Surfaces Near Boats

The crew receives a signal from the mast-head that Moby Dick has sounded, and holds position near the spot to intercept him when he resurfaces; moments later, the whale breaches obliquely from the sea, shrouded in a thin veil of mist.

First Failed Attack on the Whale

Ahab orders his crew to give way and attack, but the freshly wounded, enraged Moby Dick rams the boats, spilling irons and lances from the mates’ vessels and damaging their bows, while leaving Ahab’s boat almost unscathed.

Parsee’s Corpse Found on the Whale

As Moby Dick swims past the boats again, the crew spots the half-torn, lacerated body of the Parsee lashed to the whale’s back, his distended eyes fixed on Ahab, proof that the prophet’s earlier prediction of accompanying the whale to Ahab’s death has come true.

Ahab’s Grief Over the Parsee

Ahab is devastated to see the Parsee’s corpse on the whale, recognizing it as the “hearse” the Parsee promised him, and he mourns the fulfillment of the prophet’s dire prophecy even as he resolves to continue the chase.

Renewed Pursuit of Moby Dick

Despite the damage to the other boats and the shock of finding the Parsee’s body, Ahab orders the remaining crew to press on in the renewed pursuit of Moby Dick, who is swimming rapidly forward with the corpse lashed to his back.

Ahab Prepares to Harpoon the Whale

As Ahab’s boat closes in on Moby Dick, the sharks continue to bite at the oars, and Ahab moves to the bow of the boat, readying himself to strike the whale with his harpoon one final time.

Whale Capsizes Ahab’s Boat

When Ahab drives his harpoon deep into Moby Dick’s flank, the whale writhes and canters the boat over, capsizing it and throwing three oarsmen into the water, two of whom manage to climb back aboard.

CAPÍTULO 135. The Chase.—Third Day.

Chapter 135, the third day of the chase of the White Whale, covers the climactic final confrontation between the crew of the Pequod and Moby Dick, the total destruction of the whaling ship, and the fate of its crew, with only one survivor.

White Whale’s Dash and Snapped Harpoon Line

The White Whale makes a sudden, swift dash through the sea. When Ahab orders the crew to adjust the harpoon line and tow the boat closer to the whale, the line snaps instantly under the double strain placed on it.

Whale Rams the Pequod, Disables Ahab’s Boat

The whale turns to face the approaching boat, then spots the Pequod’s hull and charges it, smashing its jaws into the ship’s bow with tremendous force. Ahab is temporarily blinded by the impact, and the oarsmen’s boat is badly damaged when planks burst through its bow, leaving it nearly level with the waves and taking on water.

Ahab’s Final Monologue and Fatal Harpoon Throw

As the Pequod begins to sink, Ahab delivers a final monologue vowing to pursue and fight the whale to his last breath, regardless of his own death or the ship’s destruction. He throws his final harpoon at Moby Dick, but the flying line catches around his neck, and he is yanked out of the boat and lost at sea before the crew realizes he is gone.

Ahab’s Death and Harpooneers’ Final Stand

The remaining boat crew realizes Ahab has disappeared and searches for the Pequod, which is sinking with only its upper masts still visible above water. The pagan harpooneers remain at their posts on the sinking masts, refusing to abandon their stations. The boat itself is pulled into the vortex created by the sinking ship, and all remaining crew members are lost.

Tashtego Nails the Flag During the Pequod’s Sinking

As the Pequod sinks, Tashtego is seen hammering a red flag to the subsiding mainmast. A sky-hawk that had been taunting him near the mast is caught between his hammer and the wood as he dies, and the bird goes down with the ship, wrapped in the flag.

Epilogue: Ishmael’s Survival and Rescue

The sole survivor, Ishmael, explains he was knocked astern from the boat during the final chaos, and floated on the sea for nearly a day and night, buoyed by a coffin that had been constructed for him earlier in the voyage. He is ultimately rescued by the whaling ship Rachel, which was searching for its own missing crew members.