The characters of Captain Ahab and Ishmael are almost opposites. The only thing the two have in common is that they are both sailors and they are both looking for a whale. Ishmael is a pleasant character, who plays the role of the main character as well as the narrator. He is an ordinary man who loves the sea and goes there to clear his mind whenever he feels down or feels that it is "a wet and rainy November" in his soul. As for his physical appearance, he doesn't really specify it. However, one could assume that he is a middle-aged man and probably possesses the characteristics of the "stereotypical sailor". But what the character lacks in physical description, he makes up for in a well-rounded personality that he extensively portrayed throughout the book. Ishmael is a man who seeks what can be described as “inner peace”. He is very happy with himself when he is on the water and loves being a sailor. He joins the crew of the Pequod to satisfy his desire to return to the ocean, but it turns out that the journey he is about to undertake is not the one he suspected. For this ship would be captained by a half-mad captain in a desperate search for a slimy white whale. Overall, Ishmael is undoubtedly the most civilized and wisest man in history. Captain Ahab is an extremely intimidating character in the story and can probably be considered the most deranged of them all. His radical obsession with finding and killing the white whale known as "Moby-Dick" causes Ishmael and the other crew members to fear his abnormal behavior. Ahab's physical appearance is best described as ominous and evil. He is a tall man with gray hair and is missing a leg due to a death-defying confrontation with Moby-Dick himself. His new artificial leg is made from whale bone and once again adds to his intimidating form. His personality is also pretty crazy. He has a maniacal presence about him and would risk his life and the lives of his crew members just to fulfill his mission of insane revenge. Melville does an excellent job of portraying this particular character to the utmost extreme. The characters of Ishmael and Ahab are two who have a significant and critical impact on the book..