Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven

Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven

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 “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 William Munny’s actions throughout the movie.

According to Plato’s philosophy in order for human beings to have a healthy “soul,” our view of the world should not be distorted by fears, insecurities, irrational anxieties, or overpowering desires. He also explains that our judgment should not be blinded by greed or self-interest. Having a healthy “soul” means having a clear mind and seeing things for what they actually are; this “soul” is the core of our personality. A person with a healthy ”soul” will live a virtuous life by making ethical choices and controlling his or her desires.

William Munny was not that type of person, because his mind was clouded by desire and his “soul” was unhealthy. His desire was his purpose, and his purpose was to kill. Munny intended on acting unethically by killing for his own self-interest. This self-interest was to get the reward money in order to provide a better life for himself and his kids. Although at first he struggled with this decision, since he supposedly was no longer a killer, Munny let himself be controlled by his desire to get out of his financial situation and as a result acted in an unethical way. Once he acted on his decision to kill for money he showed no emotion, or remorse, which leads us to believe that his desire overpowered him.

However, before William Munny even made the decision to kill, he shows fear and insecurities within himself, which keeps him from having a healthy “soul” and making ethical choices. First of all, Munny had been a killer before he had a family and changed his life, and now being faced with the proposition of killing for money he struggled with his own identity. 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.

Another aspect of Munny’s fear can be understood through Plato’s “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.

William Munny’s actions were not only driven by his desire, self-interest,