Benito Cereno

Captain Benito Cereno, also referred to as Don Benito Cereno, is the title character, although his perspective does not appear until he offers his testimony in the final pages of the novella. Originating from Chile, he commands the San Dominick and communicates primarily in Spanish. Cereno is 29 years old, tall and slender, and belongs to an important mercantile family.

Cereno exemplifies the unreliability of appearances, as Delano misinterprets his true intentions throughout most of the novella. Contrary to what one would expect of a sea captain, Cereno emanates an aura of gloominess, coupled with apparent mental and physical distress. He has frequent coughing fits that leave him trembling and on the verge of fainting, and he relies heavily on Babo, his enslaved servant, for support. Delano describes him as existing in a “cloudy languor”; he is passive and apathetic, failing to react during episodes of unruliness, prompting Delano to question not only his capabilities as a captain but his mental health. When a breeze finally stirs, Cereno remains seated in his cabin, delegating navigation duties to Delano. This behavior leads Delano to suspect that Cereno might be an impostor plotting against him.

All of these guesses prove to be inaccurate, as Cereno’s testimony reveals Babo has been manipulating him since the enslaved passengers revolted. Cereno’s strange behavior therefore stemmed from his fear of Babo and the trauma of the violence he witnessed. In particular, Cereno is haunted by the brutal murder of his friend Alexandro Aranda; when the skeleton is revealed, he “[covers] his face” and “[wails] out” (94). While Delano deemed Cereno impolite and rude, Cereno’s testimony reveals gratitude for Delano’s assistance and generosity.

Unlike Delano, Cereno is profoundly scarred from his experience on the San Dominick: In his testimony, he reveals that despite being just 29, he is “broken in body and mind” (199). When Delano inquires about the source of his distress, Cereno responds, “the negro.” The remark is ambiguous, but if taken to refer to Black people broadly, it may suggest that Cereno now sees Slavery and Racial Bias as Dehumanizing and understands that slavery inevitably leads to violence and death. This stands in stark contrast to Delano’s naivety. Cereno’s death, three months after Babo’s execution, underscores the enduring impact of the ordeal on him and suggests that Cereno’s life is forever intertwined with Babo’s.

Babo is a multifaceted secondary character in Benito Cereno. An enslaved Black man and the mastermind behind the revolt on the San Dominick, he functions as a foil for Delano and Cereno, embodying complexity, cunning intelligence, and a capacity for cruelty.

Delano’s initial assessment of Babo underscores the unreliability of appearances, as Delano misreads him as a loyal and dedicated servant—a “spectacle of fidelity” (26). Delano never suspects Babo, believing that Black people lack the intelligence to orchestrate a rebellion. Ironically, Babo demonstrates greater intelligence than either Delano and Cereno: He has total control over Cereno and devises expedients that fool the unsuspecting Delano. He also has superior leadership skills, as all the Black passengers unwaveringly follow his lead. The shaving scene serves as a metaphor for Babo’s relationship with Cereno; he holds a razor to Cereno’s throat, symbolically and physically wielding power over his life. He then teases him, stating that he “never yet [has] drawn blood” (71), while Cereno is well aware that Babo has murdered many Spanish sailors, including Alexandro Aranda. The disrespectful use of a Spanish flag as an apron is another way for Babo to subtly assert his power.

Cereno’s testimony unveils the extent of Babo’s violence, providing a detailed account of the gruesome methods he employed to kill the Spanish sailors and clean the skeleton of Alexandro Aranda, which he later uses as a threat. Whether Cereno’s and Delano’s accounts of Babo’s villainy perpetuate racial stereotypes of Black people as brutal and dangerous has generated much critical debate; there are reasons to doubt both Cereno’s and Delano’s reliability as narrators, and Babo’s actions can also be understood as a direct response to the dehumanizing treatment inflicted upon him as an enslaved person. The court labels Babo a murderous criminal and sentences him to death for his actions without his perspective ever appearing in the novel. Babo’s refusal to speak out mirrors this silencing of the Black perspective. After being captured, he “[utters] no sound” (122), evoking the oppression faced by enslaved individuals who had no voice to defend themselves.

Atufal is as a secondary character in Benito Cereno, serving in part as a foil to Babo, his accomplice in the rebellion. The narrator describes Atufal as exceptionally tall and imposing. Delano observes “a royal spirit in him” (33); Atufal was in fact a king in Africa before his capture and bears ear slits that once held wedges of gold. In Delano’s imagination, Atufal resembles the racist stereotype of the “noble savage,” making his role in the uprising doubly ironic. That a monarch serves as second-in-command to Babo underscores the novella’s critique of the notion that some people are “naturally” leaders. Moreover, it is significant that the less physically powerful of the two men organizes the rebellion, undercutting the then-common belief that Black people were physically strong but mentally inferior.

As part of Babo’s scheme, Atufal walks around in chains and must beg for Cereno’s forgiveness every two hours. This scenario exemplifies the unreliability of appearances: Atufal presents himself as harmless, while Cereno appears to subject the enslaved man to humiliation. Cereno carries the key to unlock Atufal’s chains around his neck, which is ironic given that Atufal holds power over Cereno.

Atufal remains a silent and enigmatic figure throughout the narrative. Though he utters no words, his towering figure is a looming presence. Positioned outside Cereno’s cabin door, he becomes a source of suspicion for Delano, who notices that he is a “punctual shadow” and “[seems] a sentry” (89). This silent and imposing presence contributes to the ominous atmosphere of the novella, a sign that something is awry on the San Dominick.