From the substantial body of work that was examined in depth during the course, one particular theme that emerged several times is that of "courage in the face of adversity", such that the main characters are confronted with enormous obstacles expected of them and, more often than not, overcome them. Perhaps the most famous definition of courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to act despite it. From literature, the characters in these works demonstrate courage in their decision to work through their fear towards whatever goal they set for themselves. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay However, they may also occasionally stumble along their journey as their character flaws can hinder them, especially given a set of difficult circumstances that test the protagonist physically and/or mentally. To some extent, these brief but noteworthy moments throughout these narratives test the limits of these important figures and determine whether or not they will exceed their expectations or fall short and succumb to their weaknesses. Odysseus and Gilgamesh are both heroes who show courage in their clashes with various gods and monsters of myth. Paulina, on the other hand, conveys her courage in her courageous retorts to Leontes after seeing the queen hounded by accusations and insults. Along with this constant theme of courage in these narratives as a frame of reference, there are its parallels in the real world where courage is exhibited by ordinary people. Odysseus demonstrates courage in the Odyssey throughout the narrative, but one of the most important was his descent into the Underworld to consult the dead prophet, Teiresias, and discover how to return home from then on. A land not meant for the living, Odysseus and his crew witness and are gripped by terror as the spirits of the dead gather around the blood of the sheep they had sacrificed to recall Tiresias from the grave: "The souls of the dead gathered, the ghosts/ Of brides and young men and old men... They went up to the pit on all sides / With a disturbing cry, and a pale fear seized me (Book XI, lines 35-41) Despite his evident discomfort, and even more with his amazement at seeing those he knew personally, Odysseus does not cower or flee from the scene but instead maintains his position and takes responsibility as captain of his crew. As the spirits gather around them, Odysseus pushes them back and orders them to form a line so that conversations can be had with each of them: “I myself, drew my sharp sword and sat, holding the weak heads of death from the blood/ Until I questioned Tiresias” (Book XI, lines 45-47) This illustrates his courage and boldness in commanding a horde of apathetic ghosts. Here, Odysseus comes face to face with the shadow of death itself, which includes seeing his mother among the spirits, yet he does not back down. After experiencing tremendous hardship resisting the sight of old friends and family, now mere shadows of their former selves, Odysseus regains his wits and remains focused on the task at hand, which for him means returning home to his wife, his son, and his kingdom. He proved that luck truly favors the brave when it comes to surviving one situation after another. Likewise, the story of Odysseus and his courage could be about ordinary people who struggle to accept and overcome the death of a loved one, but manage to find the courage to overcome these adversities and move forward. While Ulysses is forced to undertake his ownjourney whether by his own and his crew's actions, or by the whim of the fickle gods, Gilgamesh, in contrast, pursues various avenues of danger wherever he finds himself, accompanied by his faithful companion, Enkidu. For Gilgamesh, these "hunts" could be interpreted as attempts to test his strength against that of various monsters he encounters along the way. It can be argued that courage does not necessarily involve being thrown into these conflicts against someone's free will and forced to participate in ongoing hostilities, but facing the conflict regardless of one's personal discontent. An example of Gilgamesh's courage is when he defeats the beast Humbaba, who resides in the cedar forest and refuses to allow anyone to pass: “My friend? Humbaba is the guardian of the cedar forest, / Kill him, put him out of existence... Before Enlil [king of the gods] the foremost hears of this!" (Plate V, lines 65-69) Even just summoning the level of courage needed to face the beast is extraordinary in itself Gilgamesh's willingness to put himself in danger so that the path through the Cedar Forest is open to all is nothing less than an extraordinary act of courage noted in the epic. , among others. Gilgamesh's style often involves throwing himself into these conflicts to demonstrate not only his brute strength, but his mental acuity in prevailing over obstacles when he encounters them he is portrayed as an over-the-top, carefree adrenaline junkie with the strength to fight these monsters of myth Despite his divinity, Gilgamesh is still subject to the same natural laws as everyone else. and willingly puts himself in these situations, just to be able to live life to its fullest and show courage in the face of fear. Likewise, if you take any soldier who enlists in any branch of the military, he does so with the understanding that he will be involved in high-risk conflicts far from home, with a high probability of being seriously injured or even killed in action. . The courage on the part of the troops for their enormous sacrifices, putting themselves at risk for the common good, corresponds to Gilgamesh's expeditions and slaughter of monsters not only for his sake, but also for that of his people. Based on this idea, Paulina from The Winter's Tale could be said to fit into this model of courage as she is willing to act despite fear as she puts herself in a life or death situation when she comes to Hermione's defense after she her husband, Leontes, falsely accuses and insults her in her court. Returning the favor, Paulina implies that Leontes' behavior borders on tyranny and that everyone in the room thinks the same thing, even though she is the only one inclined to announce it: “I don't care. It is a heretic who lights the fire, not she who burns it. I will not call you a tyrant; But this cruel treatment of your queen, incapable of producing more accusations than your feeble imagination, something smacks of tyranny. (2.3.112-115) Extremely courageous of her part, Paulina has a clear understanding of the situation in which she has gotten herself entangled. With the knowledge that Leontes had become more deranged and unpredictable, Paulina still involves him and takes on the role of his opposition. in underlining that his delusions are unfounded and are signs of his increasingly paranoid and delusional conduct. She refutes his suspicions of his wife's infidelity which only serve to exacerbate his already weakened state of mind, and resists his escalating and exaggerated threats, which ironically only proves her point that Leontes is indeed spiraling out of control. Paulina's type of courage can be called selfless and.