Cassidy Hutchinson and Greek tragedy show that courage is rare and cowardice more common

Cassidy Hutchinson is sworn in to testify before the House January 6th committee, on June 28, 2022. Andrew Harnik-Pool/Getty Images

Ever since former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson’s remarkable testimony in the recent January 6 committee hearing, I’ve been thinking – as I’m sure many people have – about courage. Seeking analogies in literature, I think of two women from Greek mythology: Antigone and Iphigenia.

Courage often engenders more of itself: Being brave may make you even braver. In the cases of these two heroines, courage doesn’t save any lives.