Essay On Cowards Die Many Times, Before Their Death.This famous quotation occurs in Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar. It is part of a speech by Caesar in reply to Calpurnia warning that he should not move out of doors as evil omens point to some danger to his life. Caesar refuses to be perturbed by the puretents and declares that death has no terror for him. He is able to rise above cowardice because he ignores the dangers that threaten him. The word -fear-, he says, does not exist in his vocabulary. He throws a challenge at death and refuses to be frightened by it. He could never have been a great soldier if he had stood in fear of death.
Caesar's attitude to death is, indeed, the right one. Death is a necessary and inevitable end to life. Nobody has ever conquered death. Death comes to all -- kings and beggars, rich and poor.
princes in their palaces and paupers in their huts. Death lays its icy hand upon all creatures without distinction or discrimination. Knowing the omnipotence of death, it is the height of folly for a man to tremble with fear at the thought of it. It shows an utter lack of spirit to turn pale at the mention of death. It is extreme cowardice to shrink from the dangers of life and mark of bravery to face them.
A coward lives in constant dread; his heart sinks at the prospect of death which is like a sword of Damocles hanging over his head. The outbreak of war, a riot, the tremors of an earthquake. the prospect of a famine or a flood--all these make the coward shudder with fear because he thinks that he will be the first target for these instruments of death.
He eyes his food with suspicion because there might be poison in it. If he stands on the sea-shore or a river¬bank a wave of fear sweeps over him at the idea of being accidentally drowned. As he walks along a road, he is over-careful not to step down the pavement lest he should be run over by an omnibus. He knows that death pounces upon a man suddenly and in a variety, of ways and therefore his life a continuous nightmare. Every time he hears that someone else has died, he secretly congratulates himself on his own escape.
Such is the mental outlook of a coward. Surely he suffers a thousand times more pain and agony at the imaginary prospect of death than by the event itself. For he meets his death many times in his imagination and endures all the horror connected with it. He even goes on to imagine the sufferings that are in store for him beyond the grave.
A brave man, on the country, maintains an attitude of defence towards death. He realises the fact that death must come sooner or later and that it is no use denying this fact. For death is an essential part of the scheme of things; this venture of clay. this gross flesh must some day become a cold, insensitive and lifeless stock. It is therefore vain to pity oneself at the thought of death. Besides. with courage and resolution one may well evade death many times.
So these two lines from Shakespeare contain a profound lesson. Death is not a frightful monster; it is only a natural and necessary consummation of life. It is true that premature death is often tragic and that it is the prospect of dying before the time strikes terror into the hearts of most people. But if one is to die prematurely. no complaining or self-pity can alter the fact.
No one can foresee accidents, epidemics and other forms of sudden death. It is therefore meaningless to go about in perpetual fear of the evils that might happen. Surely it is wiser to preserve an attitude of tranquillity and serenity in the face of both good and evil.
Caesar's attitude to death is, indeed, the right one. Death is a necessary and inevitable end to life. Nobody has ever conquered death. Death comes to all -- kings and beggars, rich and poor.
princes in their palaces and paupers in their huts. Death lays its icy hand upon all creatures without distinction or discrimination. Knowing the omnipotence of death, it is the height of folly for a man to tremble with fear at the thought of it. It shows an utter lack of spirit to turn pale at the mention of death. It is extreme cowardice to shrink from the dangers of life and mark of bravery to face them.
A coward lives in constant dread; his heart sinks at the prospect of death which is like a sword of Damocles hanging over his head. The outbreak of war, a riot, the tremors of an earthquake. the prospect of a famine or a flood--all these make the coward shudder with fear because he thinks that he will be the first target for these instruments of death.
He eyes his food with suspicion because there might be poison in it. If he stands on the sea-shore or a river¬bank a wave of fear sweeps over him at the idea of being accidentally drowned. As he walks along a road, he is over-careful not to step down the pavement lest he should be run over by an omnibus. He knows that death pounces upon a man suddenly and in a variety, of ways and therefore his life a continuous nightmare. Every time he hears that someone else has died, he secretly congratulates himself on his own escape.
Such is the mental outlook of a coward. Surely he suffers a thousand times more pain and agony at the imaginary prospect of death than by the event itself. For he meets his death many times in his imagination and endures all the horror connected with it. He even goes on to imagine the sufferings that are in store for him beyond the grave.
A brave man, on the country, maintains an attitude of defence towards death. He realises the fact that death must come sooner or later and that it is no use denying this fact. For death is an essential part of the scheme of things; this venture of clay. this gross flesh must some day become a cold, insensitive and lifeless stock. It is therefore vain to pity oneself at the thought of death. Besides. with courage and resolution one may well evade death many times.
So these two lines from Shakespeare contain a profound lesson. Death is not a frightful monster; it is only a natural and necessary consummation of life. It is true that premature death is often tragic and that it is the prospect of dying before the time strikes terror into the hearts of most people. But if one is to die prematurely. no complaining or self-pity can alter the fact.
No one can foresee accidents, epidemics and other forms of sudden death. It is therefore meaningless to go about in perpetual fear of the evils that might happen. Surely it is wiser to preserve an attitude of tranquillity and serenity in the face of both good and evil.
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