Honor

Honorisagiftthatpeoplegivetothemselvesandthatcannotbegivenandtakenawaybyanyoneelse.InthemovieRobRoy,honorisadistincttheme.AsRobertRoyMacGregorsaystohischildren“Allmenwithhonorarekings,butnotallkingshavehonor”,heisamanwhohighlyvalueshonor.RobertRoycherisheshisownhonor;meanwhile,hecherishesother’shonoraswellandobtainsother’srespectbyhishonor.AsImentioned,RobertRoycherisheshishonorverymuch.Firstly,heneverdegradeshimselfbybeggingforanoble’shelp.Whenhewasframed,hiswifeaskedhimtoaskforhelpfromDukeofArgyll.However,RobertRoydenied,onlybecausehewasnotwillingtoobtainhelpfrompeoplehedidnottrust.Secondly,heneverstoopstopandertonobles.WhenhewasderidedbyMarquisofMontrose,hetoldMarquisthathisrequirementforhonoristhesameastheMarquis.Thirdly,hetakeshiswordsseriously.WhenheborrowedmoneyfromtheMarquis,beingaskedwhathecouldmortgage,hesaidhehadhiswords.Heemphasizedifhiswordsweregiven,theyweregood.Fourthly,hewon’tbenefitfromcalumniatingothers.WhentheMarquisaskedhimtoslanderDukeofArgylltocompensateforthemoneyheborrowed,RobertRoyrefused.HetoldMarquisthatwhatheownedMarquisisonlymoney.HeexplicitlyspokeoutthatMarquiswasthepersonwhomisspokehimselfandaskedarequirementthatshamedbothhimandMarquis.WhenhewasrevengedbyMarquis,hetoldhiswifethathewaspersecutedfornomanssakebuthisown.Fifthly,heiswillingtoriskhislifeforretrievinghishonor.WhenheknewhiswifewasviolatedbyCunningham,RobertRoydecidedtoduelwithCunningham,eventhoughhewasverylikelytobekilled.Additionally,asRobertRoytoldhischildren“youmustnevermistreatawomanormalignaman,norstandbyandseeanotherdoso”,healsocherishesother’shonor.Firstofall,hewon’tvilifyother’sreputation.WhenMarquisofMontroseaskedhimtoslanderthatDukeofArgyllwasaJacobite,herefusedbecausehedidnotwanttoinjuretheDuke’sreputationatcourt,eventhoughhewaspersecutedforthisrejection.Secondly,hetrustshisfriend.WhenAlanMacDonalddisappearedwithmoneyandwassuspectedbyeveryoneelse,RobertRoyinsistedtrusthisfriendandstickedupforhisfriend’sreputation,becausehebelievedhistrustvaluedmorethanthatmoney.Thirdly,hetreatsotherswithrespect.Hethinkshissubordinatewasasequalashimratherthanbeneathhim.WhenMarquisofMontroseaskedhimthenumberofpeoplehemastered,heansweredthathemasterednonebuttookcareof200people’sliving.Fromtheabove,wecanseeRobertRoyrespectsothers.Therefore,heobtainsrespectfromothers.Peoplealwaysfollowhim;hiswifeisproudofhimandhishonor;Alanalwayssaiditwasanhonortobehisfriend;everyoneinthevillagetalksabouthisheroicalstory,andeventheservantboysinbarknowhim.Besides,beingtouchedbyhishonor,DukeofArgyllofferedsomehelpforhim.Forinstance,inordertobringbackhishonor,theDukearrangedtheduelbetweenCunninghamandhim,andpromisedrepaythemoneytotheMarquisforhim.Tosummarize,peoplewhovaluehonorarerespectedbyothers.Honorisagiftthatnoonecangivesandtakesaway.“Itgrowsinusandspeakstous.Allweneeddoislisten.”