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.
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,
The most important aspect of the chivalric code is honor. Without honor a man is
William Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar, has a heavy focus on honor. The characters in the play have a tendency to refer back to honor and the honor of Rome, but are they really as honorable as they say? Honor is a very abstract concept that is widely applicable in many situations, but what is it? To honor someone is to show them respect, and to be honorable is to act in a way that deserves respect and admiration. The characters of Julius Caesar, for the most part, are all seeking some form of honor, but do they achieve it? Three of the best examples of honor in Julius Caesar are Brutus, Cassius, and Portia. With varying levels of honor, these characters display the spectrum well.
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.
Dishonesty is an evil of various forms. More often than not, it sullies understanding in the form of a simple lie: short, deliberate, yet easily enough deductible. However, say the lie is taken into acceptance. Say the lie garners a foothold and establishes roots; thus, growing like a weed in persistence, say the lie institutes a sort of ‘myth.’ A myth, although unrealistic, becomes indulgently persuasive. In To Each His Own, Leonardo Sciascia weighs the battle for integrity in an ethically empty society against the oppression of falsehood within a Christ figure whose faith in morality likens to madness. Laurana is challenged not only by the lies of certain individuals, but more importantly by the myth his trust succumbs to in the wake of those lies. As one transcends beyond the novella’s simple plotline and into an underlying critique on Sicilian chivalry, Sciascia provides a social commentary on the ethos of a culture, it’s self-indulgent permittance of corruption, and the brutal demeaning of those who stand in opposition to it.
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
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 the time of William Shakespeare where courtship and romance were often overshadowed by the need to marry for social betterment and to ensure inheritance, emerges a couple from Much Ado About Nothing, Hero and Claudio, who must not only grow as a couple, who faces deception and slander, but as individuals. Out of the couple, Claudio, a brave soldier respected by some of the highest ranked men during his time, Prince Don Pedro and the Governor of Messina, Leonato, has the most growing to do. Throughout the play, Claudio’s transformation from an immature, love-struck boy who believes gossip and allows himself to easily be manipulated is seen when he blossoms into a mature young man who admits to his mistakes and actually has the capacity to love the girl he has longed for.
Honour is a very big motif in this play. They all want their honour and reputation. This makes the betrayal a crucial factor in this play as they all want their
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.
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.
What is honor? Honor coins an individual’s nature. A principle that exists on the purpose of perception, a martyr willing to conform and accomplish. In the case of Shakespeare's play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Brutus was the most honorable of men. A brother to Caesar, but a father to Rome, he persist and perish for the future of his child. The idea of ignorance, and the belief of a false faith, turns this noble man toward a vulgar grave, with virtuous notions.
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.
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.
HONOR CAN BE DEFINED IN SO MANY WAYS CAN mean respect and esteem shown to another. HONOR may ALSO apply to the recognition of one's right to great respect or to any expression of such recognition IN SOME SITUATIONS IT implies profound respect mingled with love, devotion.There is a priceless respect that everyone in the world possesses, and that is the. respect of a person?s honor. A person?s honor is something that can not be bought, sold,. or traded it?s something that must be gained by the respect of your peers. An example of. how honor is seen in everyday life in through a persons word. The standard dictionary definition of honor first lists public regard and esteem under the word, with ethical conduct or high standards of justice and responsibility appearing much further down the list. This is reflected in the way the modern world treats the issue of honor. In ancient times, honor was the manner of being that we now describe as having integrity. In plain language, an honorable person avoids deception whenever possible, treats others with respect and sticks to her beliefs no matter how others think or act. People generally do not seem to behave very well toward each other any more.Honor determines the hierarchy of an individual while revealing his loyalty and true intentions. Reward comes for those at the top whose honor does not diminish, while a false or fleeting honor of a lesser mortal causes destruction. Exploring and discussing how to act honorably toward each other is a place to start.The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be. How can you be a person of integrity? First, figure out what integrity (honor) is. My mother used to say to treat others the way you wanted to be treated. Does anyone do that these days? Well, I know that I don't want to be cut off in traffic, or yelled at, or bumped into rudely at the grocery store, or left picking up garbage all over my yard from the street. So I could try not to do those things to other people. I won't cut off others in traffic, or yell, or act rude at the grocery store, or throw garbage in the street. That's just a place to start. Treat others the way you want to be treated.