Essay about UNFORGIVEN - 975 Words

Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;As human beings we constantly struggle with ourselves on whether our actions are virtuous or vice. Some of us choose to act in an ethical way when presented with a certain situation, while others choose to act on their desires and therefore act unjustly. This was the struggle that the character, William Munny, faced in the movie â€Å"Unforgiven.† He was unable to control his desires, which resulted in his unethical actions. His actions support Socrates and Plato’s theory that if we let our desires or our emotions drive us we will act unethically when faced with circumstances. In this paper I will show how Socrates and Plato’s philosophy regarding our emotions and desires, explains†¦show more content†¦He was insecure with himself and struggled with who he used to be and who he was now. He also showed fear of truly being a killer and of his children finding out about his ways. However, in the end he justified his decision by the fact that killing these men would be a way to avenge the crime committed against the prostitute. The fact that Munny was full of fear and insecurity plays a part in his decision and unethical actions. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Another aspect of Munny’s fear can be understood through Plato’s â€Å"The Ring of Gyges.† In this story, Gyges obtains power by becoming invisible without the fear of getting caught for his wrongdoing, taking away the fear of punishment. Like Gyges, Munny did not fear punishment because he was aware of the power he had. He was like a god amongst men because his skills surpassed anyone else’s and he was sure he could not be beat. However, unlike Gyges, Munny was not invisible and he did fear that his children would find out about these actions. This fear was apparent when Munny became ill and was on the brink of death, at which time he made these feelings known. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;William Munny’s actions were not only driven by his desire, self-interest, fear, and insecurity but also by his emotions. After the task was done of killing the two men who committed the crime and receiving his reward, Munny then found out that his friend had been killed. His immediate reaction was to avenge his friend’s death by