Mid-19th century. Northeastern United States. The young orphan Ahab is raised by his aunt, a pious and austere woman married to a dandy who has no qualms about using the whip to discipline the boy. Determined to leave this prison-like existence, Achab escapes by making it appear that he is dead. He then begins a new life, free of all restraints, only to discover his passion for the sea. After having been taken in by a pastor, he enrolls in a naval academy. From then on, he lives only for his greatest passion, the ocean. Eventually becoming the formidable Captain Ahab, he embarks upon a never-ending battle with a mysterious white whale known as Moby Dick. Five people whose paths have crossed with that of Ahab recount his tragic fate, each describing a different stage of his life.