Courage

Does courage stand in the absence of fear or in the face of? I think some would say that courage is devoid of fear but I wonder if courage is when you take a stand and stare down fear in the face. If it is the later, then doesn't it empower you to take courage in your attempts at change, etc? Knowing that you can be courageous in the face of fear instead of waiting for fear to have played his roll before courage can take hold seems powerful and conquering.