# Captain Peleg — Moby-Dick character guide

> Captain Peleg in Moby-Dick by Herman Melville.

**Role:** minor

**Also known as:** Old Captain Peleg, Peleg

**First appearance:** 0019-xvi-the-ship

## Who they are

A retired sea captain and part-owner of the Pequod, who interviews and hires Ishmael in Nantucket.

## Relationships

### [Captain Bildad](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moby_dick_se/characters/captain_bildad)

_professional_

Bildad and Peleg are retired sea captains and co-owners of the Pequod who work together to outfit the ship and hire the crew.

### [Ishmael](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moby_dick_se/characters/ishmael)

_professional_

Peleg is a part-owner of the Pequod who interviews, hires, and negotiates the terms of Ishmael's voyage.

### [Captain Bildad](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moby_dick_se/characters/captain_bildad)

_professional_

Bildad and Peleg are retired sea captains and co-owners of the Pequod who work together to outfit the ship and hire the crew.

### [Captain Bildad](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moby_dick_se/characters/captain_bildad)

_professional_

Bildad and Peleg are retired sea captains and co-owners of the Pequod who work together to outfit the ship and hire the crew.

### [Ishmael](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moby_dick_se/characters/ishmael)

_professional_

Peleg is a part-owner of the Pequod who interviews, hires, and negotiates the terms of Ishmael's voyage.

### [Ishmael](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moby_dick_se/characters/ishmael)

_professional_

Peleg is a part-owner of the Pequod who interviews, hires, and negotiates the terms of Ishmael's voyage.

## In the story

### [XIV: Nantucket](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moby_dick_se/chapters/xiv-nantucket)

Associated with Nantucket as a principal owner of the Pequod; the ship's arrival is at his home port.

### [The Ship](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moby_dick_se/chapters/xvi-the-ship)

Co-owner and agent of the Pequod. He interrogates Ishmael's resolve, gives a cryptic warning about Ahab's leg and character, but ultimately agrees to ship him, defending Ahab as a 'moody good captain.'

### [His Mark](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moby_dick_se/chapters/xviii-his-mark)

Gruff and pragmatic. Initially resistant, he is won over by Queequeg's harpoon throw and hires him, arguing against overly pious harpooneers.

### [All Astir](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moby_dick_se/chapters/xx-all-astir)

Stays aboard, supervising the final preparations from his wigwam and roaring orders at the crew.

### [Merry Christmas](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moby_dick_se/chapters/xxii-merry-christmas)

Actively commands the crew with roaring profanity and physical kicks to get the ship underway; shows a philosophical but tearful emotion when leaving the Pequod.

### [The Advocate](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moby_dick_se/chapters/xxiv-the-advocate)

Implied as part of the Nantucket whaling tradition from which 'scores of anonymous Captains' have sailed.

### [XLV: The Affidavit](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moby_dick_se/chapters/xlv-the-affidavit)

Mentioned indirectly as part of the Nantucket whaling community from which many of the cited captains and stories originate.

### [CVI: Ahab’s Leg](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moby_dick_se/chapters/cvi-ahab-s-leg)

Mentioned as having provided an inadequate public reason for Ahab's reclusiveness prior to the voyage.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moby_dick_se/characters/captain_peleg
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moby_dick_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moby_dick_se/characters