Captain Ahab

Captain Ahab is the monomaniacal captain of the whaling ship Pequod and a central figure in Herman Melville’s 1851 novel, Moby-Dick. During a previous voyage, he lost his leg to the white whale Moby Dick and now wears a prosthetic made of ivory. Driven by a desire for vengeance, Ahab transforms the Pequod’s whaling expedition into a fanatical hunt for the creature, forcing his crew to support his mission.

When the whale is finally sighted, Ahab’s intense hatred causes him to abandon all caution. The encounter results in the destruction of the Pequod and leads to Ahab’s death as the whale drags him beneath the sea.