Beowulf
Kennedy Espey
Courage: What defines a courageous person?
David and Goliath: A Tale of Courage
In 1 Samuel chapter 17 of the bible, a story is told of great courage. David, a weak and timid boy, goes against the giant Goliath in battle. Goliath challenged someone to fight him and David was the only one with enough courage to fight him, knowing he had the Lord on his side. Similarly, Beowulf had the courage to stand up to Grendel. Although Beowulf was a strong man with many victories, and David was a weak boy who had no experience in battle, they both had courage to stand up to their opponent.
Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Crossway. Illinois: Wheaton, 2011. Print.
Hunger Games
In this well known novel, Katniss Everdeen shows a great deal of courage. Her sister's name gets drawn to fight in the Hunger Games, and Katniss takes the bold decision to take her place, risking her life in order that her sister may live. Although Beowulf and Katniss display two different types of courage, they both put their all into what they were fighting for.
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Press, 2008. Print.
Moral Courage in Healthcare
In this article, Scholars discuss whether moral courage is an instinct or learned over time. The article discusses different situations in the healthcare field, in which workers must have a sense of moral courage to stand up when things are ethically wrong. The article tells the story of an employee who noticed something was ethically wrong and had to make the decision to be courageous and stand up for her morals even after her supervisor threatened to cut her hours and treat her unfairly. Along with the courageous employee, Beowulf had to make the decision to stand up to Grendel, his mother, and the dragon, still with the uncertainty of what the outcome would be. This brave employee isn't someone people would typically view as courageous, but just because she isn't slaying down giants with her bare hands, she is courageous in the sense that she is willing to stand up for her morals when no one else will.
Murray, J.S., (Sept 30, 2010) "Moral Courage in Healthcare: Acting Ethically Even in the Presence of Risk" OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 15, No. 3, Manuscript 2.
Courageous Boy Dies to Save Others
In this article, reporters describe the death of 8-year-old Tyler Doohan who dies while saving his family from their home. He was able to save 6 members of his family, but when he went inside to rescue his disabled grandfather, they didn't make it out. This boy is obviously courageous for sacrificing his life for his family, but isn't what typically what comes to mind when thinking of a courageous hero. This also relates to Beowulf by showing that even the person with the most courage has to make the ultimate sacrifice and doesn't always come out victorious.
Boyette, Chris, and Jean Casarez. "8-year-old Boy Rescues 6 Relatives from Fire, Dies Trying to save 7th." CNN. Cable News Network, 22 Jan. 2014. Web. 11 Sept. 2014.
The Story Of An Unsung 9/11 Hero
The story of Benjamin Clark told in this article is not a traditional courageous story. Ben was killed in the terrorist attack of 9/11, but he was not a police officer, nor was he a fireman. Ben was a chef. When the twin towers fell under attack, Ben made sure everyone in his department was out safely before he made the climb back to safety from the 96th floor. However, he paused on the 78th floor to help a woman bound to a wheelchair, and he never made it out. Although they display different values of heroism, they both lost their lives in the battle of courage.
Daly, Michael. "The Story of An Unsung 9/11 Hero." The Daily Beast. Newsweek/Daily Beast, n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2014.
Harry Potter
In the concluding book of the world famous series Harry Potter, Harry is prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice. He believes that sacrificing himself in battle will save countless people from the wrath of Lord Voldemort. Harry is more than willing to give up his life for the greater good. He not only accepts his role as martyr, but he embraces it. He never once wavered from his goal, and chased after it with a zeal that is paralleled by Beowulf. Harry posses many of the same qualities in which is shown in Beowulf.
Rowling, J.K., Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2007. Print.
Conclusion
I believe there is not a certain criteria to fit a courageous person. As shown from the different sources, courage varies greatly from the strong guy who saves everyone victoriously, to the weak boy who loses his life for others. I believe it also depends on your motive for being courageous. True courage comes from not what you see in yourself but the impact it has on others