The Cowardly Lion is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is a Lion, but he talks and interacts with humans.
Since lions are supposed to be "The Kings of Beasts," the Cowardly Lion believes that his fear makes him inadequate. He does not understand that courage means acting in the face of fear, which he does frequently. Only during the aftereffects of the Wizard's gift, when he is under the influence of an unknown liquid substance that the Wizard orders him to drink (perhaps gin) is he not filled with fear. He argues that the courage from the Wizard is only temporary, although he continues to do brave deeds while openly and embarrassedly fearful.
Read more about Cowardly Lion: Books, The 1939 Movie, The Wiz, Return To Oz, Recent Works and Parodies, Speculated Origins, Political Interpretations
Famous quotes containing the words cowardly and/or lion:
“There is only one honest impulse at the bottom of Puritanism, and that is the impulse to punish the man with a superior capacity for happiness—to bring him down to the miserable level of “good” men i.e., of stupid, cowardly and chronically unhappy men.”
—H.L. (Henry Lewis)
“The lion dying thrusteth forth his paw
And wounds the earth, if nothing else, with rage
To be o’erpowered.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)