Comments on: Courage http://www.blackgate.com/2008/12/18/courage/ Adventures in Fantasy Literature Thu, 17 May 2012 03:08:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: James Enge http://www.blackgate.com/2008/12/18/courage/comment-page-1/#comment-270 James Enge Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:23:08 +0000 http://www.blackgate.com/?p=1296#comment-270 Interesting stuff, and a great range of evidence. I've never read the original Du Maurier "Birds" story, and now I think I'll have to. I'm not sure if antiheroes always display courage, though. The courage of Cugel the Clever is a fairly flexible quality ("I prefer to run, but I will fight if I must") and Harry Flashman seems to have no virtues whatsoever, but is particularly deficient in courage. I guess it depends on exactly how the antihero runs against the grain of the heroic tradition. Interesting stuff, and a great range of evidence. I’ve never read the original Du Maurier “Birds” story, and now I think I’ll have to.

I’m not sure if antiheroes always display courage, though. The courage of Cugel the Clever is a fairly flexible quality (”I prefer to run, but I will fight if I must”) and Harry Flashman seems to have no virtues whatsoever, but is particularly deficient in courage. I guess it depends on exactly how the antihero runs against the grain of the heroic tradition.

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