...Courage We all face challenges in the process of achieving physical health, financial stability, and enough time to do what we must do. However, what gives us strength to meet these challenges is courage. Courage is our inner strength to stand up against difficulties and grief. Courage also includes our ability to confront humiliation, fear, and pain. Courage helps us overcome our fears and the obstacles in our lives. Courage motivate us to pusue our goals that lead us to great success ,balance and fullfilment in life. Every day, we all act with courage no matter how wise or stupid, young or old, we are. According to Micheal Bucci, editor of the Askmen Become...
Words: 1381 - Pages: 6
...Matthew Breske Professor McIntire English 1213-MW1 01 December 2012 The True Definition of Courage After reading the poem "Dulce Et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen, I realized, based on my own personal combat experiences and the combat experiences of Owen, the only word that could possibly describe the poem was courage. Throughout my time in the military, I have been instructed that courage is one of the fourteen leadership traits. Traits are qualities of thoughts and actions, which, if demonstrated in daily activities, help warriors earn the respect, confidence, and loyal cooperation of fellow warriors. There are two different kinds of courage. Moral courage is having the inner strength to stand up for what is right and to accept blame when something is your fault. The second is physical courage, which means that you can continue to function effectively when there is physical danger present. No matter the specific type of courage, both allow the warrior to remain calm and continue with the mission while recognizing fear, which is precisely what the young infantryman demonstrated in the poem and what Owen, personally demonstrated in combat during World War I. Growing up in the country as I did, I tend to think I was pretty much the same as other young boys that spent their lives in the country. I went hunting, fishing, watched war movies, listened to stories of World War II and Vietnam from my grandfather and father, ran through the woods while playing war with the neighborhood...
Words: 1482 - Pages: 6
...Topic: The interpretation of the definition of the word “Courage”. Essay Questions: What feelings does the word courage provoke in you? How courage is traditionally interpreted? How important is courage for any personality type? Thesis Statement: The definitions of this word are numerous, but since the world around us changes the definitions change, too. For instance, if we talk about the liberty of word we can define “courage” as the person’s ability to say what he thinks on this matter. Courage, what feelings do you get when you hear this word? Do you feel Inspiration, Admiration, Respect, Fear, or maybe nothing at all? To some people courage is just another word, and for others it means so much more. The word courage comes from the Latin word coraticum. The root”cor” means heart. Then after the world entered English through French it was completed with an English suffix- age, which expressed action or the result of action. So the word courage really means an action that comes from the heart, in other words it is a noble action. How is this word used by contemporary people? The main usage of this term of this term of the word is, to describe people who have a type of mind that allows them not to think rational, and face danger without fear. Which is also referred to as bravery or boldness? This word is usually used when talking about man, because from its original form it was considered to be more of manly virtue. The definitions of this word are numerous, but since...
Words: 1477 - Pages: 6
...Courage I remember the sinking feeling and the tears that filled my eyes. I tried desperately to keep them from spilling onto my rosy cheeks, but it was no use, so I let them come. Through the tears I could see my mother and siblings gathered on the living room floor, crying as well. The darkness and dreariness outside reflected my feelings inside. As I’ve grown, there have been many attributes I have lost and gained through experiences. All of these experiences have defined the person that I have become, however there is one experience that seems to stand out more than the rest. True courage is an attribute, I believe can only be captured after it seems it has vanished. Many years ago, I was somewhere around four or five years old,...
Words: 1008 - Pages: 5
...There is something in all of us that gets through any hardship we may face in our lives. It helps us overcome failures and setbacks. It makes or breaks the habits in failure and success, and it applies to all of us. It is a need we all have in our lives. It is the need for courage. “That's why courage is tricky. I mean any fool can have courage. But honor, that's the real reason you either do something or you don't. It's who you are and maybe who you want to be. If you die trying for something important, then you have both honor and courage, and that's pretty good. I think that's what the writer was saying. That you should hope for courage and try for honor. And maybe even pray that the people telling you want to do have some too.(Atom 1)” This clearly sums up how you define courage, in my opinion. With courage comes honor. When you face your obstacles knowing that they’re going to be hard or tricky, or break a habit that is courage. Although, when you do them the right way and come out on top. That is truly an honor. A person who never...
Words: 904 - Pages: 4
...All people face moments that demand courage, but deciding what that courage will look like can be difficult. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch uses an important moment in his son’s life to offer advice about what it really means to be courageous. Though this book tells a fictional story based on a time period more than 80 years in the past, Atticus’s explanation of courage is still relevant. This is especially true when looking at the story of Malala Yousafzai in Biography.com article “Women Leaders: Malala Yousafzai.” Malala Yousafzai exemplifies all parts of Atticus Finch’s definition of courage. Atticus Finch helps his young son Jem understand courage by first explaining what it is not and then what it is. At the...
Words: 580 - Pages: 3
...Courage Your time is limited, so do not waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition (brainy quotes). The current dictionary’s definitions of courage intend to be a little inadequate because they only really reference to physical courage and omit instances of inner strength. Three commonly used dictionaries agree closely on the definition although they differ in the order of importance. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes courage as "an attitude of facing and dealing with anything recognized as dangerous, difficult or painful, instead of withdrawing from it," and the American Heritage Dictionary gives a similar explanation. While the Oxford Dictionary affiliates with this meaning, it states that the primary definition is "spirit, mind, or disposition." Courage is a state of mind: that enables a person to overcome fear, pain, danger, or hardship. Although different from one another, all aspects of courage involve taking risks. Physical courage is linked to every human body. Courage is not just found in the soldiers who can display shiny medals or in the detectives who bravely risks their life for justice as portrayed on television. It is not an elementary school girl who agrees to fight, but she who can stand up against it. A six year old boy who...
Words: 716 - Pages: 3
...Plato’s Laches describes different ways to approach courage through his characters Laches, Nicias, and Socrates. Plato uses a dialog between characters to define courage in regard to teaching children the art of swards fighting. In dialog Socrates, as the teacher, questions two generals Laches and Nicias in their belief in courage. Both Laches and Nicias have different views on what it means to have courage, however Socrates is able to question both definitions in order for each argument to be better satisfied. The test begins with thoughts from Laches, who describes courage as one’s ability to stand at their post and fight. Laches states, “If a man is willing to remain at his post and to defend himself against the enemy without running away, then you may rest assured that he...
Words: 773 - Pages: 4
...Sebastian.E English Essay #1 There are many ways of showing courage. In the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” Atticus Finch describes courage as “when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what”. Courage is a very good attribute but sadly many lack it. It is challenging to find people who actually have courage and don’t just say they do to get attention and affirmation from others. For most people courage is just pretending to be something that they are not. Notwithstanding there are courageous people out there that show courage in the face of trial, turmoil and pain. In the following essay I will be talking about Atticus’s interpretation of courage and which characters in the book...
Words: 707 - Pages: 3
...In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the message of courage is significant. This is due to the many characters that express courage in the novel. The courage that they displayed is different compared to the dictionary definition. This courage gave them their strength and deepened their self-understanding as the novel progresses. The characters Atticus Finch and Jeremy Finch demonstrated their courage in the novel which resulted in the explanation of the message about real courage. Atticus Finch proved to be a noticeably courageous character in the novel. One apparently reason was because he accepted the appointment to the case of Tom Robinson, a black man. It took courage for Atticus to do the right thing, despite knowing that he...
Words: 922 - Pages: 4
...Knight’ ” The cultural values depicted in “Beowulf” and “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” are those of courage, honor, strength and humility among many others. Now, while exploring the ethos of the cultures in these pieces of literature the reader can deduce that each value means something different. What defines courage (and other values) in “Beowulf” differs from the definition of courage in “Sir Gawain” in many ways including the struggles Beowulf himself faced with Grendel, in “Sir Gawain” with the encounter with the lord’s wife, among other events in both poems. To begin with, in “Beowulf” these values are defined through the heroic code, which was held in the Anglo-Saxon culture in which this poem takes place. Beowulf himself is the definition of a “hero”, exemplifying values such as courage and strength. For example, one challenge that Beowulf held was the battle with Grendel. He shows exceptional strength when he is able to rip of Grendel’s arm which we see in the text itself, "The monster's whole body was in pain; a tremendous wound appeared on his shoulder. Sinews split and the bone-lapping’s burst. Beowulf was granted the glory of winning". The ability to cause so much physical pain to a giant monster shows just how powerful and strong Beowulf is. Strength here is sort of defined as physical power and ability rather than spiritual strength and what not. Courage, for example in Beowulf is also defined in this segment of the poem. Beowulf, shows his fearlessness when...
Words: 1048 - Pages: 5
...greek social virtues. By using a mathematical argument to link the tasks in society, with the parts of the soul, and matching them to social virtues, Plato is able to provide an acceptable definition of justice that embodies both the ideals of a society and of an individual. In order to locate justice, Plato performs a though experiment where he creates an ideal society. In the ideal society everyone has a merit-based assignment. Plato states that in the perfect society there are three categories of people. There are the rulers, the auxiliaries, and the craftsmen. The rulers are in charge of ruling the ideal society, the auxiliaries are in charge of policing the ideal society, and the craftsmen are in charge of creating the basic tools to fulfill society’s needs. In Greece many accept that in an ideal society there are four standard virtues: wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice. Plato argues that since his society is ideal the standard virtues must be within the society. He also argues that if we are able to locate the standard values in society we will be able to locate justice. Plato uses an elimination method to locate justice. Plato links the value of wisdom to the rulers because in order to make a proper judgment on social matters one must clearly use wisdom. Plato links courage to the auxiliaries because in order to go to war and defend the city the army must have no fear. Finally Plato links Moderateness to the craftsmen claiming that moderateness is acknowledging...
Words: 1441 - Pages: 6
...Courage: To Those Who Break the Chains of Tribulation Courage. This word brings up stories ranging from famous superheroes defeating evil villains in tremendous displays of bravery, to mere mortals that face dangerous situations for the greater well-being of those around them. According to Atticus Finch, main character in To Kill A Mockingbird, courage is “when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what”. This type of courage makes infrequent occurrences in social media and news outlets, yet is one of the most inspiring. In Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, author Harper Lee displays three characters, Atticus Finch, Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose , and Mr. Walter Cunningham, that exemplify the definition of courage in the face of unfair, seemingly unchangeable situations. Atticus Finch, a defense lawyer, fought through an extremely difficult case with dignity, while facing racial prejudice in the justice system. On page 100, Atticus states, “I’m simply defending a...
Words: 717 - Pages: 3
...Honor and Courage Persevere The poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, translated by John Gardner, is set in the Middle Ages. This was a time in history when people focused on the values and ideals of the Code of Chivalry, a code of honor intended to govern knightly behavior. As Arthur and his knights get together to feast and celebrate Christmas and the new year their festivities were interrupted by a man of green who wandered about searching for adventure so that he can disprove his chivalry. The two values that are most clearly stated in the poem are courage and honor. It will become clear by the actions of the characters that courage and honor is shown in several different areas of the poem. According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, courage is defined as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” Courage can be shown in a variety of ways. In this particular instance the Green Knight challenged King Arthur or any of the knights of the roundtable to take his ax and hit his bare neck. He said to them, “And I will stand still for your stroke, steady on the floor, / provided you honor my right, when my inning comes, / to repay” (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 213). Clearly, the Green Knight shows a tremendous amount of courage, knowing the danger that it is going to befall him if one of the knights takes up the ax to his neck. Sir Gawain is another instance where courage was lost and then found. After a year, Gawain...
Words: 763 - Pages: 4
...Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane, is a novel about a boy in the Civil War who matures and realizes the definition of true courage. Courage comes from the ability to be willing to sacrifice one’s life for a good humanitarian cause. This is clearly manifested in many points in this story. For example, in the beginning of the book, Henry, the main character is looking for a person to admit that they are scared and might run from the battlefield, because he is afraid that he might. He questions his friend, Wilson regarding this, and he replies: “I didn’t say I was the bravest man in the world, neither. I said I was going to do my share of fighting—that’s what I said. And I am, too” (19). Wilson portrays courage, because he says that he...
Words: 676 - Pages: 3
