If courage is always rewarded with glory and honor, then cowardice is punished by shame and disrespect. It just so happened that people do not like it if someone discovers weakness in the minutes when they need to act decisively. This can be understood, because one cannot count on a coward; such a person is not reliable in any fields of activity. Therefore, excessive timidity is traditionally associated with dishonor.
For example, cowardice leads a person to failure, whether it be a case, or personal relationships. NN, the hero of the story Asya by I. S. Turgenev, was afraid of his feelings for Asa, weighing how to do the right thing, is it worth it to marry her. Feeling hesitation, the heroine was offended and in the morning disappeared without a trace with her brother. Then the man realized that he had forever missed love, one of a kind, that he would no longer meet. But there was nothing to be done about it, the chance was lost, and N. N. remained an idle bored "rampant".
In the novel M.A. Bulgakov's “Master and Margarita” the image of Pontius Pilate is covered in dishonor due to the cowardice that the character embodied in himself. He was afraid to save an innocent person from execution, because the local authorities could have entered into a conflict, and he would have undermined the authority of the procurator himself. He preferred to allow the torture and killing of the preacher, resigned to the fact that the robber would be released in his place. Such cowardice in itself resembles dishonor, because Pilate carefully guarded his secret, as he was ashamed of it. He understood that such actions undermined the law, and did not protect, but fear dug too deeply into his soul, he could not do anything with it. Admitting the execution of an innocent, he discredited Roman authority and gave primacy to the local gods who are ready to condemn anyone, so that no one would take their bread, preaching in the streets.
Thus, cowardice - this is dishonor, which people manage to hide only for the time being. As soon as they get into a situation where it will be necessary to show firmness of spirit and determination, their fears will immediately talk about themselves and show that they are dishonorable and cowardly.
Power of darkness
