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7 0 COWARDICE

bravest Persians, what could he not achieve with twenty divisions against the Italians?

LOUIS DE BERNIÈRES Captain Corelli's Mandolin, 1994

Cowardice

Cowardice is typically revealed behind a front of bluster or belligerence.

• See also Courage, Fear.

Bob Acres Bob Acres is a ridiculous but mild character in Sheridan's The Rivals (1775) who believes himself to be a rival for the hand of Lydia Languish. He is persuaded to fight a duel with her preferred suitor but on his arrival at the location for the fight his courage disappears rapidly, 'oozing out at the palms of his hands'.

'If you are busy, another time will do as well', continued the bishop, whose courage like Bob Acres' had oozed out, now that he found himself on the ground of battle. ANTHONY TR0LL0PE Barchester Towers, 1857

Cowardly Lion The Cowardly Lion is one of the companions of Dorothy in her journey to find Oz in the children's story The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (1900). The lion roars very loudly to frighten other creatures away and to disguise the fact that he is scared of them himself. He hopes that the Wizard of Oz will give him courage, although, in fact, he acts bravely to protect his companions throughout their travels.

Mr. Perot transformed a tale about fistfights during a union-certification campaign (which the union won) into the 20th-century equivalent of the Haymarket riot. This small-minded appeal to jingoism not only batters facts, it also makes the U.S. look like the Cowardly Lion of world politics.

New York Times, 1993

Scaramouch Scaramouch (literally 'skirmish') was a stock character in old Italian farce, portrayed as a cowardly braggart. He was usually represented as a Spanish don, wearing a black costume.

He swore no scaramouch of an Italian robber would dare to meddle with an Englishman.

WASHINGTON iRviNC Tales of a Traveller, 1824

CRAFTSMEN 7 1

Craftsmen

The makers, builders, and inventors listed below are all drawn from classical mythology. Of these, the figure most strongly associated with the idea of craftsmanship is probably DAEDALUS • See also Sculptors.

Argus In Greek mythology, Argus was the craftsman who built the ship, Argo, on which Jason and the Argonauts voyaged to recover the Golden Fleece. •See special entry n JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS on p. 220.

Athene Athene (also called Pallas Athene) was the Greek goddess of wisdom, and also the patroness of arts and crafts, especially spinning and weaving. She is identified with the Roman goddess Minerva.

Daedalus In Greek mythology, Daedalus was an Athenian craftsman. He fled from Athens to Crete after jealously killing his pupil Talos, whose skills threatened to outdo his own. In the service of King Minos of Crete, Daedalus designed and built the labyrinth in which the Minotaur was kept. When Minos later refused to allow him to leave Crete, he escaped by making wings for himself and his son, Icarus. Although Daedalus escaped and flew to safety, Icarusflewtoo high and the sun melted the wax holding his wings together, so that he plunged to his death. Daedalus can be alluded to as a clever craftsman or maker of clever or complicated devices.

It was a dirty reeking room into which we entered, with men and women idling upon stools and cushions—I know not if Daedalus would have made a labyrinth for such monsters.

PETER ACKROYD The House of Dr Dee, 1993

Epeius In Greek mythology, Epeius, a skilled craftsman, built the Trojan Horse with the help of Athene. •See special entry u TROJAN WAR on p. 392.

Hephaestus •Seevui.cAN.

Minerva In Roman mythology, Minerva was the goddess of arts and crafts, identified with the Greek Athene.

She started the pen in an elephantine march across the sheet. It was a splendid round, bold hand of her own conception, a style that would have stamped a woman as Minerva's own in more recent days.

THOMAS HARDY The Mayor of Casterbridge, 1886

Vulcan Vulcan was the Roman god of fire and metalworking, identified with the Greek Hephaestus. He is said to have made Pandora (the first woman on earth), the thunderbolts of Zeus, and the armour of Achilles. Vulcan is often depicted at the forge.

A Vulcan guarding the flames, he gives us instructions about which doors to keep closed or opened for proper distribution of heat, lays kindling by, discusses qualities of coal, and teaches us how to rake, feed, and bank the fire.

TONI MORRISON The Bluest Eye, 1970

7 2 CRIMINALS

Criminals

The figures below are thieves, robbers, and gangsters. Other criminals are covered at the themes Murderers and Outlaws. • See also Evil.

AI Capone Al (Alphonse) Capone (1899-1947) was notorious for his involvement in organized crime in Chicago in the 1920s. Though it was never possible to find sufficient evidence to convict him of his crimes, he was eventually imprisoned in 1931 for tax evasion. Capone died in prison.

The Greek's muscles were dough-colored. You wouldn't have wanted him to take a headlock on you. That's the kind of man the Organization hired. The Capone people were now in charge.

SAUL BELLOW Something to Remember Me By, 1991

'There's no shortage of smart operators like Heriot 07 who get what they can from the city. They cover their arses. If they're spotted, they pay people off. Or arrange a good kicking.' 'Sounds like Chicago under AI Capone.'

PAUL JOHNSTON Body Politic, 1997

Arthur Daley Arthur Daley was a character in the ITV series Minder (1979-94), a shady wheeler-dealer always full of schemes to make money quickly, usually involving selling goods of dubious origin. Daley always managed to avoid being arrested, but never actually made any money from his schemes.

Burglars are being encouraged by the public's Arthur Daley' mentality to crime and willingness to turn a blind eye to stolen goods, one of Britain's most senior police officers said yesterday.

The Independent, 1994

John Dillinger John Dillinger (1903-34) was an armed bank robber based in Indiana, named the FBI's 'public enemy number one' in 1933. He was shot dead by FBI agents in Chicago acting on information given by his girlfriend, now popularly known as the 'Lady in Red'.

'You always wanted it that way, Jess. You changing your mind?' 'No. It's just ... " He sighed. 'Spring'. 'Don't feel bad. It turns even the best of us to mush! 'Leave it to Tark—more Diogenes than Dillinger these days—to understand that!

MEG O'BRIEN Eagles Die Too, 1993

Fagin In Charles Dickens's novel Oliver Twist (1838), Fagin is the leader of the gang of pickpockets into whose hands the runaway Oliver falls.

When I tried to shoo them away one of them knocked my hat off, while another deftly snatched out of my hand the carrier bag containing my new jacket . . . I did not care about the jacket . . . but I would have liked to see where those girls would go. I imagined a lean-to made of rags and bits of galvanised iron on a dusty patch of waste ground . . . Or perhaps there was a Fagin somewhere waiting for them, skulking in the shadows in some derelict tenement.

JOHN BANVILLE The Book of Evidence, 1989

Of course this is true. All good writers, if they are honest, will acknowledge that

CUNNING 7 3

when they come across a good thing in someone else's work, either consciously or unconsciously they store it away for the day when inspiration fails. And if writers are pickpockets, then Shakespeare is our Fagin, always on the look out for a shiny new phrase.

The Observer, 1999

Godfather 'The Godfather' is the term used to denote the head of a Mafia family, popularized by Mario Puzo in his novel The Godfather (1968) and by the 1972 film which, together with two sequels, was based on it. The original Godfather, Don Corleone (played by Marlon Brando in the film), is succeeded by his son, Michael Corleone (played by Al Pacino). The book and films document the power struggles and vendettas between Mafia families.

Moriarty In Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, the fiendish Professor Moriarty is the detective's greatest enemy, 'the Napoleon of crime'.

I tried Ralph again. This time he answered on the fourth ring. 'What's up, Miss Marple?' he asked. 'I thought you were out after Professor Moriarty until tomorrow! SARA PARETSKY Indemnity Only, 1982

She no longer paled or trembled at the idea of sudden death. The renowned John Coss, with all the cool skill, clever thinking and iron fists of detectives in novels, would get her safely past every Moriarty going. She finished the last of her sandwich with obvious pleasure.

RICHARD HALEY Thoroughfare of Stones, 1995

Cunning

The figures below are tricksters and schemers, whose displays of guile range from TOM SAWYER with his ploy to avoid a domestic chore, through the political cunning of MACHIAVELLI, to the murderous plotting of the BORCiAS and LADY MACBETH. The DEVIL, often simply the epitome of evil, can more specifically be mentioned as the embodiment of craftiness, especially when represented in the form of the SERPENT. See also Mischief.

Artful Dodger In Dickens's Oliver Twist (1837-8), 'the Artful Dodger' is the nickname of Jack Dawkins, a clever young pickpocket and a member of Fagin's gang of thieves. He is known especially for his quick-wittedness.

Dozens of little Artful Dodgers hustling the white men who invaded their parents' country.

ARMISTEAD MAUPiN Babycakes, 1984

Autolycus In Greek mythology, Autolycus, the son of Chione, was a cunning thief who stole animals from the herds of Sisyphus. He had the power to change the appearance of whatever beasts he stole and so, although Sisyphus noticed that his own herds were growing smaller and those of Autolycus were growing larger, he was unable to make any accusations. Sisyphus finally

7 4 CUNNING

caught Autolycus by marking the hooves of his cattle. Autolycus is also the name of a character in Shakespeare's Winter's Tale, a light-fingered rogue, 'a snapper-up of unconsidered trifles'.

Borgias The Borgias were a Neopolitan family with Spanish origins. Cesare (1476-1507) and Lucrezia or Lucretia (1480-1519) Borgia were children of Pope Alexander VI. Although they were patrons of the arts, they are chiefly remembered for their alleged plotting against and murder of their enemies, especially by poisoning.

I watched her recoiling from that poulet en casserole, as if it had been something dished up by the Borgias.

p. c. woDEHousE Cocktail Time, 1958

[This is] a party whose personal hatreds and plotting make Lucretia Borgia and Machiavelli look tame.

The Observer, 1997

Delilah According to the Old Testament Book of Judges, Delilah used her guile to extract from Samson the secret of his great strength so that she could betray him to the Philistines in return for money. She repeatedly asked Samson the secret of his strength and when he had given her three false answers said: 'How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? Thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth' (Judg. 16: 15). Samson finally relented and told her that his great strength lay in his long hair and that if it were cut short he would 'become weak, and be like any other man'. •See special entry u SAMSON on p. 336.

Ay, and I fancy I've baited the hook right. Our little Delilah will bring our Samson. ANTHONY HOPE The Prisoner of Zenda, 1894

Devil The Devil, also referred to as Satan or Lucifer, is the supreme spirit of evil in the Christian and Jewish religions, thought of as scheming to tempt people into wickedness.

I dare say he knew me as soon as he saw my face; but was as cunning as Lucifer. He came up to meet me, and took me by the hand, and said, 'Whose pretty maiden are you?'

SAMUEL RICHARDSON Pamela, 1740

lago lago is the villainous ensign in Shakespeare's Othello (1622) who schemes against Othello himself, deceiving him into believing that his wife, Desdemona, has been unfaithful to him. This ultimately leads to the tragic deaths of Othello and Desdemona.

And you say Mathilda was evil-minded?' Furiously, she ground into gear. 'Compared with you she was a novice. Juliet to your lago.'

MINETTE WALTERS The Scold's Bridle, 1994

Politicians who peddle their sincerity between whiles become transparent liars. Men who trade on integrity turn lagos.

PETER PRESTON in The Guardian, 1995

Jacob Jacob and Esau were the twin sons of Isaac and Rebecca in the Bible, Esau being the first born. Esau used to go on hunting expeditions and, returning from one of these famished, begged Jacob for some of the food Jacob was preparing, 'red pottage of lentils'. Jacob refused him food until Esau sold Jacob

CUNNING 7 5

his birthright. Later, when Isaac was on his deathbed, he promised Esau, his favoured son, his blessing if he would bring him some game prepared in the way he liked. Rebecca and Jacob tricked Isaac into blessing Jacob. When Isaac and Esau discovered the deception, Esau said 'Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing.'

Loki In Scandinavian mythology, Loki was the god of mischief and discord. He was instrumental in the death of Balder. Loki discovered that mistletoe was the only substance that had not been asked by Balder's mother, Frigga, to swear that it would not harm her son and so was the only thing to which Balder was vulnerable. Loki shaped a dart from the wood and tricked the blind god Hod into throwing it at Balder, who immediately fell dead to the ground. For this Loki was punished by the gods by being bound beneath the earth.

But Cod, thank goodness includes both Loki and Odin, the comedian and the scholar, the jester and the saint. Cod did not fashion a very regular universe after all. And we poor sods of his image are therefore condemned to struggle with calendrical questions till the cows come home, and Christ comes round again to inaugurate the millennium.

STEPHEN J . GOULD Questioning the Millennium, 1997

Lucifer • See DEVIL.

Lady Macbeth In Shakespeare's play Macbeth (1623), Lady Macbeth plots with her husband to have King Duncan killed so that her husband can assume the throne in his place. She persuades him to commit the murder despite his hesitation and reluctance. She is thus alluded to as a cold-blooded and scheming woman.

The little girls with their assessing eyes, their slippery deceitful smiles, tartaned up like Lady Macbeth.

MARCARET ATWOOD Cot's Eye, 1988

Maria . . . took to interviewing Mandalari's clients during his absence, gradually becoming the Lady Macbeth of Palermo's money launderers, yet all the while protesting her ignorance of the Mafia's wider operators.

The Observer, 1997

Machiavelli Niccolô di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (1469-1527) was an Italian statesman and political philosopher. His best-known work is The Prince (1532), in which he argues that rulers may have to resort to methods that are not in themselves desirable in order to rule effectively. His name has come to represent the use of deceit and cunning in the pursuit of personal power, and the adjective 'Machiavellian' has entered the language meaning 'elaborately cunning and scheming'.

Sidney talked for the same reason as the hunted sepia squirts ink, to conceal his movements. Behind the ink-cloud of the Ancient Indians he hoped to go jaunting up to town unobserved. Poor Sidney! He thought himself so Machiavellian. But his ink was transparent, his cunning like a child's.

ALDOUS HUXLEY Point Counter Point, 1928

Beware of that Machiavel of a policeman. If he gets wind of the plot, we're lost.

JOHN KENNEDY TOOLE A Confederacy of Dunces, 1980

'Who was lago?' Jack grinned. 'You didn't come here to ask me that! 'You're quite

ADAM AND

7 6 CUNNING

right, but I'd still like to know.' 'He's a character from Othello. A Machiavelli who manipulated people's emotions in order to destroy them!

MINETTE WALTERS The Scold's Bridle, 1994

Prometheus In Greek mythology, Prometheus was a demigod, one of the Titans, seen in many legends as the champion of humankind against the gods. Various stories attest to his cunning, usually in the service of man. Zeus asked him to arbitrate in a dispute between men and gods over which portion of a sacrificial bull should be given to the gods and which portion should be kept by men. Prometheus divided the carcass into two bags, one containing the flesh, the other containing the bones, then tricked Zeus into choosing the bag containing the bones, which would thereafter be the gods' portion. In another episode, he stole fire from Mount Olympus by hiding it in a stalk of fennel. See special entry n PROMETHEUS on p. 311.

Ruritania Ruritania is an imaginary central European kingdom used as the setting for Anthony Hope's novels of courtly intrigue and romance, such as

The Prisoner of Zenda (1894) and Rupert of Hertzau (1898). The name has become synonymous with political scheming.

Satan •See DEVIL.

Tom Sawyer Tom Sawyer is the hero of Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876). In a famous episode, Tom is asked by his Aunt Polly to whitewash a fence, a monotonous chore. When one by one his friends come along, Tom pretends to be enjoying the work so much that his friends beg to be allowed to have a go. Tom therefore has 'a nice, good, idle time all the while— plenty of company—and the fence had three coats of whitewash on it!'

At other times, Tom Sawyer-like, she led the way in mischief, as when she decided that they should have a dog, despite a school rule prohibiting pets.

LEONARD s. MARCUS Margaret Wise Brown, 1992

Scheherazade Scheherazade is the narrator of the Arabian Nights. Married to King Shahriyar, who has a habit of killing his new brides the morning after their wedding night, she staves off her fate with an ingenious scheme. She tells her husband a tale every evening, stopping it at an exciting point before the end and concluding the tale the following evening. Eventually, he is persuaded to abandon his murderous plan.

Serpent In the Bible, the Serpent, which was 'more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made', persuaded Eve to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden, saying that 'in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil' (Gen. 3). •See special entry D

EVE on p. 5.

By his original constitution aided by the co-operating influences of his lot, Billy in many respects was little more than a sort of outright barbarian, much such perhaps as Adam presumably might have been ere the urbane Serpent wriggled himself into his company.

HERMAN MELVILLE Billy Budd, Foretopman, 1924

It is necessary .. . to be innocent as the dove with Monsieur de Toiras, but also sly as the serpent in the event that his king wishes them to sell Casale.

UMBERTO ECO TVîe Island of the Day Before, 1994

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