Honour has never been easy to obtain. It is the characteristic that all strive for. It is an ambiguous measure of worth, and is only genuinely in the eyes of the beholder. Throughout the play Much Ado About Nothing, honour is pursued relentlessly by all of the characters, each in a unique way. The moral casualties on the pursuit for honour seem to be a direct result of the motivations of the pursuer. Claudio and Don Pedro have an extrinsically motivated drive for honour. They only want recognition, to wear it as a badge to show off their accomplishments. Benedick is motivated intrinsically, what he strives for is internal satisfaction, not recognition. Through wit, charm, selflessness and intrinsic motivations, he gains honour without wreaking havoc. While Benedick proves he is the golden standard for an honourable man, Claudio and Don Pedro also emerge as honourable men, however their trail of moral dilemmas will tarnish their reputation for ever. The pursuit of honour by Claudio and Don Pedro is nothing short of obnoxious. All of their endeavors are public and have a serious effect on someone, and that is no accident. Such an egocentric approach is typical for all extrinsically motivated honour seekers, and the consequences of their actions are par for the course. By having all of their endeavors made public, their apparently honourable deeds will be rewarded, regardless of the true effects. Since Claudio and Don Pedro are so preoccupied with the superficial results of their actions, it is not surprising that dramatic misadventures transpire. When Don John suggests to Don Pedro and Claudio that “...[Hero] has been too long a-talking of, the lady is disloyal” (III,ii,89-90), they are faced with a decision. To trust in Don ... ... middle of paper ... ...to be ostentatious. By trying to quantify such an internal characteristic, honour loses all of it’s meaning. In a society where the lavish ends justify any means doing the right thing falls by the wayside. Benedick went on his pursuit of honour the right way, he did not destroy, he only built and he is the golden standard for an honourable man. Don Pedro and Claudio were selfish, their extrinsic motivations blinded them from doing the right thing, the moral destruction they caused will stay with them forever. Benedick, Claudio and Don Pedro all earned their honour, but the matter in which they earned it is what separates them. The extrinsic motivations of Claudio and Don Pedro caused so many moral dilemmas that they will forever be looked down upon. Honour is the characteristic that all strive for, but only once motivated intrinsically can it ever truly be attained.
Honor is a trait few possess in the modern world. Cyrano de Bergerac, a play by Edmond Rostand set in France during the sixteen hundreds, discusses honor in it’s truest form. But honor is not simply a code or a way to describe a man, there are characteristics that make a honorable individual. The main character, Cyrano, lives what many in his city would call an honorable life. Rostand uses this character to explore what characteristics make a man of honor. Some of the prominent traits the author presents as honorable are possessing controlled wit, bravery on and off the battlefield, and the ability to love unceasingly.
Rumors can break and humiliate people’s lives. A good example of this would be when Don John was passing rumors to corrupt Claudio’s and Hero’s relationship. Don John brings out that Hero is disloyal to Don Pedro and Claudio so they would be tricked by a false statement and insult Hero in many...
Honor can be defined by how one holds them in the public eye. Others may say that honor is how you live your life when none can see your actions. However defined honor can play major roles in how a person will act in a given situation. The Crucible by Arthur Miller has excellent examples of how honor can manipulate people’s decisions in times of importance. John proctor holds his moral standpoint and does not falter into the temptations of selfishness, while Elizabeth would describe honor as how a person lives their lives. Some can even describe honor as what is most important in life; family. Giles believed that his life was the ultimate object he could sacrifice to maintain his family’s happiness. However honor can be defined, one thing is certain; Everyone has some degree of honor in their lives.
amount of respect that have for the codes of chivalry and honor, which is often rewarded in the
Honor is a concept that is held true and dear to the residents of the Columbian town depicted in Chronicle of a Death Foretold. Honor can represent the status of one’s family, it can determine whether a person is fit for marriage and, if stolen, can resort to violent consequences. In the Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novel Chronicle of a Death Foretold honor is a prominent theme that is underscored through a major symbol as well as various characters throughout the novel. Each character displays their respect towards honor in different ways.
In Shakespeare's work Richard II , He talks about how honor is one of his highest priorities. “Mine honor is my life, both grow in one; Take honor from me, and my life is done; Then, dear liege, mine honor let me try; In that I live, and for that I will die” (Parrott, 1953, p. 308) This piece shows the intensity of one's need for honor. The act of insulting someone was a serious matter. By...
With so many words making up the content of plays, it is difficult for one, single word to make much of an impact. However, the word ‘honor’ does just that in the play Titus Andronicus. Honor means different things to different people, and this is quite evident in the tragedy that is Titus Andronicus. The definition of honor has changed throughout the history of man. The character for which the play is named, Titus, puts his honor and the honor of Rome before anything else. In the play, honor is used as justification for wrongful actions. There are murders that happen in the name of honor. Honor is also lost by some and taken from others. Although small in size, the word honor plays a large role in Titus Andronicus.
In the play Cyrano de Bergerac, Edmond Rostand proves with the character Cyrano and his struggles with physical identity that honor is courageously holding up to one's promises and not taking credit for another’s work despite the consequences.
From an objective viewpoint, morality is merely a result of beliefs and values instilled by a singular culture: an action might fit moral codes for one but may be heinous for another. Purpose is dependent on morality for its basis; consequently, a lack of clear morality due to conflicting ideas leads to a lack of purpose. In war, purpose is the driving force behind the movement of troops and determination of individuals. Therefore, if there is no clear purpose, then soldiers must instead rely on honor. Honor – independent of purpose – draws upon loyalty and self-image to distract from the lack of clear moral boundaries. In his novel Going After Cacciato, Tim O’Brien uses the character Cacciato to show the contrast between purpose and honor,
Honor is one of the many things that cannot have one accepted definition, it and its meaning change from person to person, culture to culture, time period to time period. A definition for honor that is generally accepted is that it has to do with high respect and nobility. This, however, only raises more questions. What do different peoples, different cultures, or even people of different times think of honor? These are some of the questions that we will answer, or at least try to. In this report, we will go over what honor is within other periods of time (including modern day), what it is within different cultures, describe what honor is to an American, and compare this American honor to that of another people, the Shi’a Islamic people.
Many people take the word honor very lightly and believe that it is incredibly easy to be defined as a person who shows their honor for the people around them, and that may be true for some people but not for others. Three people who easily fall into the group of being an honorable person includes, William Wallace from the Mel Gibson film Braveheart, Sir Gawain, and Beowulf. Honor may be mistaken for many different things, but the word honor easily falls into the category of being a hero. In order to be a hero someone has to be honorable, and being honorable includes the same characteristics of being considered a hero. There are specifically two different types of heroes including, an Anglo-Saxon Hero and Epic Hero. There are four very strict
The hierarchy told stories of great warriors like Beowulf, who were selfless and fought for honor, and then wrote guides like the Art of Courtly Love, in which love is selfish and that those in power should take what they desire. I believe that, through literature, we can find the true answer to this issue: that the honor of the hierarchy was tool rather than a guide. A tool to have the lower class look up to them, to keep them in power because those less fortunate thought that they were heroes, rather than what they really were. Perhaps chivalry and honor are more concepts than reality.
Honor is a respectable fulfillment to acquire and uphold. In the play, Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, is respected by the people of the city for his family lineage in royalty. People that surround Hamlet refer to him as Lord and treat him with respect. When Hamlet
The word honor parallels words like loyal and respect. War heroes and judges are associated with being honorable. A man who considers himself to be extremely antisocial and lacking a conscience does not mirror these traits. However, Sherlock Holmes’ ability to solve the most baffling crimes brings justice to many who would otherwise get away with their crimes. Just as war heroes sometimes give their lives for a greater cause like keeping their countrymen safe, Sherlock sacrifices himself to save others. Trust, fighting for justice, and self-sacrifice are all characteristics associated with honor, too. Sherlock Holmes is an honorable man in Sherlock, despite what most of the other characters think and say about him.
respect of a person’s honor. A person’s honor is something that cannot be bought, sold,