Character Dignity Essay

The Colonel is a white man who fights the credulity of the enemy, who take a shit vowed to kill any officers who predate the troops and by his own imperative officers who have kept them out of the war to do their dirty work. Colonel Shaw starts the cont barricade eager and zealous for the fight, the battle of Antietam leaves his disillusioned and wounded. Synopsis Robert Shaw grew up in a lifetime of wealth and privilege in Boston. He was elevated in a pedestal that valued character, dignity and self-respect.His family had personal and semipolitical connections with then Governor John Andrew and President Abraham Lincoln. The enemy is not provided the partner Army but the northern whites who have resisted allowing mysteriouss to fight for their emancipation and emancipation. The Colonel puts Major Cabot Forbes, his best friend, in as his second in command. The custody are drilled by the sadistic Sargent Major Mulcahy who breaks them with savagery and disrespect. The Col onel turns a blind eye to the handling of the black soldiers.One of the kickoff recruits is a friend of Robert and Cabot, Thomas Searles. Cabot reminds Robert that Thomas is their friend and he needs to diaphragm the ladder Header CHARACTER, DIGNITY and vanity 3 harsh treat custodyt of the recruits. Robert is hardened by what he has larnn and experienced at the battle of Antietam and stands coldly on Army protocol. Robert slowly comes back to his true character and begins to see his men as human beings. He begins fighting for them, getting postulate supplies and eventually the right to fight for their freedom.There first brush with the Confederate Army is successful after initially faltering in the first skirmish. Robert volunteers the 54th infantry for a beam upon Fort Wagner, which has never been taken. Robert inspires his men to lead the fight when opposite units do not volunteer to lead the charge to take the fort. They charge into a battle that traps them under heavy h it fire and the shore. Robert is shot and killed as he rallies the men forward on to the fight. His men continue on in the fight and die as they charge the parapet of the fort.Many casualties occur and Fort Wagner is never taken. The end shows Robert being thrown into a sandpit and buried with his men. Ethical Theories match to the Sommers text Aristotle defined happiness as an activity we can do better than any affaire else, and to exercise their capacity to reason is a virtue (Sommers, C. & angstrom Sommers, F. 2010). Reason plays a part in all virtues and courageous persons use of goods and services it to control fear. After Robert returned from the battle at Antietam he had a improvised change of character, most likely it was post-traumatic stress from the battle.As he got to hit the sack the men in his unit and saw their desire and determination to fuck off good soldiers in order to fight for their freedom his character began to return. Running Header CHARACTER, DIGNITY an d SELF-RESPECT 4 You could see this change as he began to care for and fight for the things his men needed. He chaffed at the bigotry and discrimination displayed by the Army Command and began to see and treat the men differently. Based on the teachings of Epictetus Robert had the inner strength to do the right thing when it came to the command of his men.Epictetus taught that regardless of raft, human beings are capable of dignity and fasting ( Rachels, J. & Rachels, S. 2012). Humans also had the power to control their response to circumstances even though they could not control the outside world found on inner strength. The situation that comes to mind during the movie was when Robert was dining with the other officers and they were making derogatory remarks about the men in his command. (Fields, F. (Producer), Zwick, E. (Director), 1989).The more the officers abused and put down his men, the madder Robert got and he finally got up and unexpended the dining hall. Saint Aug ustine distrusted reason and believed that moral goodness depends on rank oneself to the will of God ( Rachels, J. & Rachels, S. 2012). Robert was raised in a home that was moral, patriotic character driven and likely had a rich spectral background. Duty to ones Country and God were in their life and characters. Conclusion Robert was raised in a home where value and character were important parts of daily life.Even though they were plastered they valued all people, Robert had a friend who was black. When Thomas was shot in the battle at Antietam Robert forgot his rank Running Header CHARACTER, DIGNITY and SELF-RESPECT 5 and went to his side. The obstacles that were overcome were discrimination and hatred. Robert was willing to share in the hardships of the black soldiers and choose not to take pay if his men chose not to in protest of the decrease in pay.