Foil

Character Role Analysis

Benito Cereno, Babo

There's a reason these two guys seem joined at the hip. Benito Cereno, who Captain Delano recognizes as a formerly strong man, is now weak. Babo, who once was a slave, is now in a position of power. Dare we say that these two have traded places?

Although it's hard to know what went on before Delano boarded the ship, it's possible that the two learned essential skills from each other. In another kind of story (and another era), they might have made awesome partners.