This wouldn't have been a problem if it weren't for the fact that Billy Budd was well liked by the crew. Every time he saw Billy's love he was reminded of the dislike he felt for himself. An old sailor on the ship also noticed this and warned Billy, saying, "Jimmy Leggs has it out for you." Jimmy Leggs refers to Claggart. An incident in the kitchen only made matters worse when Billy spilled the soup he was making and it ran down the hall just as Claggart was passing by. Claggart did not become openly angry at Billy for the incident, but deep down he felt he had done it on purpose. As the soup flowed down the aisle it seemed to symbolize an actual line drawn between the two. Claggart's resentment of Billy made him look at him too critically. This is a good reason why Claggart might have thought Billy was planning a mutiny and would have wanted it destroyed. He was just jealous of Billy's popularity. There are several reasons why John Claggart tries to destroy Billy Budd. One might ask why and find the answer obvious and not so obvious, even if we know the real reason for his downfall. That was his innocence. Yes, Billy Budd was innocent of evil, but that innocence is what made him unable to see evil come out to destroy him in Claggart. Too much innocence isn't always a good thing, but a little helps avoid doing the wrong things. There's a lot to be said about that