Moby-Dick Three Act Plot Analysis

Act I

Ishmael decides to go on a whaling voyage, travels to Nantucket, and finds a BFF, Queequeg, and a ship, the Pequod.

Act II

After learning of Captain Ahab’s quest for revenge on Moby Dick, Ishmael continues to be a part of the day-to-day whaling activities of the Pequod, explaining many (many, many) of the technical details of whaling to the reader.

Act III

The Pequod discovers and pursues Moby Dick, but the ship is destroyed in the process and everyone except Ishmael is killed.