The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz

by

L. Frank Baum

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Wizard of Oz makes teaching easy.

The Cowardly Lion Character Analysis

The Cowardly Lion is the third and final new companion Dorothy meets on her way to the Emerald City. While the Lion appears frightening and ferocious at first, it soon becomes clear that he believes himself to be a coward. Despite the other animals treating him as the king of the beasts, the Lion is secretly afraid of most of the creatures he encounters. He resolves to accompany Dorothy and her friends to the Emerald City, hoping that the Wizard of Oz can grant him the courage he believes he lacks. However, just like the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion constantly demonstrates that he already is courageous. The Lion voluntarily puts himself in harm’s way to protect Dorothy and his other friends, despite his fears. By performing brave deeds such as jumping across a dangerous gorge and threatening the Wicked Witch of the West, the Lion proves he’s anything but a coward. The Wizard tries to explain to him that courage isn’t a lack of fear, but the Lion won’t accept his own bravery until the Wizard gives him a drink and tells him that it’s courage. The drink itself has nothing to do with the Lion’s courage, but it nonetheless convinces him that he’s fit to rule as the king of the beasts. Like Dorothy’s other friends, the Lion can only find happiness after he’s changed the way he sees himself.

The Cowardly Lion Quotes in The Wizard of Oz

The The Wizard of Oz quotes below are all either spoken by The Cowardly Lion or refer to The Cowardly Lion. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Self-Doubt vs. Self-Confidence Theme Icon
).
Chapter 6: The Cowardly Lion Quotes

Once, indeed, the Tin Woodman stepped upon a beetle that was crawling along the road, and killed the poor little thing. This made the Tin Woodman very unhappy, for he was always careful not to hurt any living creature; and as he walked along he wept several tears of sorrow and regret.

Related Characters: Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodman, The Cowardly Lion, The Wizard of Oz
Page Number: 48
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7: The Journey to the Great Oz Quotes

‘We are lost, for they will surely tear us to pieces with their sharp claws. But stand close behind me, and I will fight them as long as I am alive.’

Related Characters: The Cowardly Lion (speaker), Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodman, The Wizard of Oz
Page Number: 55
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9: The Queen of the Field Mice Quotes

‘Is there anything we can do,’ it asked, ‘to repay you for saving the life of our Queen?’

‘Nothing that I know of,’ answered the Woodman; but the Scarecrow, who had been trying to think, but could not because his head was stuffed with straw, said, quickly, ‘Oh, yes; you can save our friend, the Cowardly Lion, who is asleep in the poppy bed.’

Related Characters: The Scarecrow (speaker), The Tin Woodman (speaker), Dorothy, The Cowardly Lion
Page Number: 68
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10: The Guardian of the Gates Quotes

‘Because if you did not wear spectacles the brightness and glory of the Emerald City would blind you. Even those who live in the City must wear spectacles night and day. They are all locked on, for Oz so ordered it when the City was first built, and I have the only key that will unlock them.’

Related Characters: Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodman, The Cowardly Lion, The Wizard of Oz
Related Symbols: The Green Spectacles
Page Number: 80
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13: The Rescue Quotes

When, at last, he walked into Dorothy’s room and thanked her for rescuing him, he was so pleased that he wept tears of joy, and Dorothy had to wipe every tear carefully from his face with her apron, so his joints would not be rusted. At the same time her own tears fell thick and fast at the joy of meeting her old friend again, and these tears did not need to be wiped away.

Related Characters: Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodman, The Cowardly Lion, The Wizard of Oz, The Wicked Witch of the West
Page Number: 117
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 15: The Discovery of Oz, the Terrible Quotes

‘You have plenty of courage, I am sure,’ answered Oz. ‘All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.’

Related Characters: The Wizard of Oz (speaker), Dorothy, The Cowardly Lion
Page Number: 139
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 16: The Magic Art of the Great Humbug Quotes

Oz, left to himself, smiled to think of his success in giving the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman and the Lion exactly what they thought they wanted. ‘How can I help being a humbug,’ he said, ‘when all these people make me do things that everybody knows can’t be done?’

Related Characters: The Wizard of Oz (speaker), Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodman, The Cowardly Lion
Page Number: 145-146
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 21: The Lion Becomes the King of the Beasts Quotes

‘It seems gloomy,’ said the Scarecrow.

‘Not a bit of it,’ answered the Lion; ‘I should like to live here all my life. See how soft the dried leaves are under your feet and how rich and green the moss is that clings to these old trees. Surely no wild beast could wish a pleasanter home.’

Related Characters: The Scarecrow (speaker), The Cowardly Lion (speaker), Dorothy, The Tin Woodman
Page Number: 172-173
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 23: Glinda Grants Dorothy’s Wish Quotes

‘Your Silver Shoes will carry you over the desert,’ replied Glinda. ‘If you had known their power you could have gone back to your Aunt Em the very first day you came to this country.’

Related Characters: Glinda (speaker), Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodman, The Cowardly Lion, Aunt Em
Related Symbols: Dorothy’s Silver Slippers
Page Number: 185
Explanation and Analysis:

She threw her arms around the Lion’s neck and kissed him, patting his big head tenderly. Then she kissed the Tin Woodman, who was weeping in a way most dangerous to his joints. But she hugged the soft, stuffed body of the Scarecrow instead of kissing his painted face, and found she was crying herself at this sorrowful parting from her loving comrades.

Related Characters: Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodman, The Cowardly Lion
Related Symbols: Dorothy’s Silver Slippers
Page Number: 187
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Wizard of Oz LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Wizard of Oz PDF

The Cowardly Lion Quotes in The Wizard of Oz

The The Wizard of Oz quotes below are all either spoken by The Cowardly Lion or refer to The Cowardly Lion. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Self-Doubt vs. Self-Confidence Theme Icon
).
Chapter 6: The Cowardly Lion Quotes

Once, indeed, the Tin Woodman stepped upon a beetle that was crawling along the road, and killed the poor little thing. This made the Tin Woodman very unhappy, for he was always careful not to hurt any living creature; and as he walked along he wept several tears of sorrow and regret.

Related Characters: Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodman, The Cowardly Lion, The Wizard of Oz
Page Number: 48
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7: The Journey to the Great Oz Quotes

‘We are lost, for they will surely tear us to pieces with their sharp claws. But stand close behind me, and I will fight them as long as I am alive.’

Related Characters: The Cowardly Lion (speaker), Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodman, The Wizard of Oz
Page Number: 55
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9: The Queen of the Field Mice Quotes

‘Is there anything we can do,’ it asked, ‘to repay you for saving the life of our Queen?’

‘Nothing that I know of,’ answered the Woodman; but the Scarecrow, who had been trying to think, but could not because his head was stuffed with straw, said, quickly, ‘Oh, yes; you can save our friend, the Cowardly Lion, who is asleep in the poppy bed.’

Related Characters: The Scarecrow (speaker), The Tin Woodman (speaker), Dorothy, The Cowardly Lion
Page Number: 68
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10: The Guardian of the Gates Quotes

‘Because if you did not wear spectacles the brightness and glory of the Emerald City would blind you. Even those who live in the City must wear spectacles night and day. They are all locked on, for Oz so ordered it when the City was first built, and I have the only key that will unlock them.’

Related Characters: Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodman, The Cowardly Lion, The Wizard of Oz
Related Symbols: The Green Spectacles
Page Number: 80
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13: The Rescue Quotes

When, at last, he walked into Dorothy’s room and thanked her for rescuing him, he was so pleased that he wept tears of joy, and Dorothy had to wipe every tear carefully from his face with her apron, so his joints would not be rusted. At the same time her own tears fell thick and fast at the joy of meeting her old friend again, and these tears did not need to be wiped away.

Related Characters: Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodman, The Cowardly Lion, The Wizard of Oz, The Wicked Witch of the West
Page Number: 117
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 15: The Discovery of Oz, the Terrible Quotes

‘You have plenty of courage, I am sure,’ answered Oz. ‘All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.’

Related Characters: The Wizard of Oz (speaker), Dorothy, The Cowardly Lion
Page Number: 139
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 16: The Magic Art of the Great Humbug Quotes

Oz, left to himself, smiled to think of his success in giving the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman and the Lion exactly what they thought they wanted. ‘How can I help being a humbug,’ he said, ‘when all these people make me do things that everybody knows can’t be done?’

Related Characters: The Wizard of Oz (speaker), Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodman, The Cowardly Lion
Page Number: 145-146
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 21: The Lion Becomes the King of the Beasts Quotes

‘It seems gloomy,’ said the Scarecrow.

‘Not a bit of it,’ answered the Lion; ‘I should like to live here all my life. See how soft the dried leaves are under your feet and how rich and green the moss is that clings to these old trees. Surely no wild beast could wish a pleasanter home.’

Related Characters: The Scarecrow (speaker), The Cowardly Lion (speaker), Dorothy, The Tin Woodman
Page Number: 172-173
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 23: Glinda Grants Dorothy’s Wish Quotes

‘Your Silver Shoes will carry you over the desert,’ replied Glinda. ‘If you had known their power you could have gone back to your Aunt Em the very first day you came to this country.’

Related Characters: Glinda (speaker), Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodman, The Cowardly Lion, Aunt Em
Related Symbols: Dorothy’s Silver Slippers
Page Number: 185
Explanation and Analysis:

She threw her arms around the Lion’s neck and kissed him, patting his big head tenderly. Then she kissed the Tin Woodman, who was weeping in a way most dangerous to his joints. But she hugged the soft, stuffed body of the Scarecrow instead of kissing his painted face, and found she was crying herself at this sorrowful parting from her loving comrades.

Related Characters: Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodman, The Cowardly Lion
Related Symbols: Dorothy’s Silver Slippers
Page Number: 187
Explanation and Analysis: