Examples Of Courage In The Odyssey

Being courageous can be difficult because we as people often do not like putting ourselves into a situation that may be difficult or uncomfortable for us. But, as people we are put into many different situations in which we must have courage. When most people think of courage they relate this to standing up in front of a crowd, making decisions that may be the “unpopular” thing to do, or standing up to someone or for something we believe in. When people think of courage they often think of having a powerful feeling that makes you want to do something out of the ordinary, or out of your comfort zone that could cause “pain or difficulty” (“Courage”). A person that comes to mind when I think of showing courage is Odysseus, from The Odyssey. Odysseus

Bravery, for example, is not courage in itself. Bravery is something you do when you feel inspired, or when you have confidence. We often mix these things up, and think that bravery in itself is what courage is. But, this is not true. When you are brave, you must have the courage to be brave. Bravery is something that leads up to being courageous. For instance, when you stand in front of a crowd to give a speech, many people think “Wow, she is so brave.” But, truly she is being courageous, by putting herself into an uncomfortable situation, that could be difficult for her to do. Small things or feelings, such as bravery lead up to bigger ideas or things such as

Martin Luther King, Jr., a social activist stands out the most to me when I think of courage. His famous speech “I Have a Dream” spoken in front of the Lincoln Memorial has been thought of as the most important speech in the twentieth century. Although most of his speech was prepared in advance, King left his notes and spoke impromptu (“I Have a Dream”). But, King is not only known for this famous speech, he also led a March the same month. “King organized and led the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the massive civil rights rally for which he is perhaps best remembered.” The march and speech worked as one and had an immediate impact to the Civil Rights Movements and paving the way to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Martin Luther King Jr.” Gale Student