Love, War, and Chastity

There can be many similarities drawn between Arcita and the temple built to the god of war, Mars. Mar’s temple is described as a place filled with horrors. It shows people who are suffering from violence. It has a lot to do with battles, and especially victory in battle. This is where connections can be drawn to Arcita. Arcita is the one who decides to fight over Emily with Palamon even though Palamon saw Emily first. This shows Arcita’s violent side. His love for Emily seems to lead him towards violence and deception. This is demonstrated when he changes his name and fools Theseus to become closer to her. He exhibits characteristics similar to those shown in the temple because he is driven crazy with his love for Emily. Arcita prays to win the battle for Emily, but he does not pray to win Emily. This shows that he is more focused on battle, or war, than love. Arcita did win the war but not his woman. He suffered a death similar to the ones shown on the portraits in the temple. This seems suiting because he lived by the principles of war, thus he also died by them.

Love and war constantly coexist in literature. In fact, they seem to be almost reliant on one another. This is because one is always intensified with the presence of the other. Love can exist without war, but when wars are fought for love, it makes the love more complete and significant. On the other hand, war can exist without love. However, it is also true that when a war is fought with the fiery passion of love, it is a much more satisfying war. Love often creates wars. It is an inspiring and driving factor that causes many characters to do illogical things. Soldiers in war are often driven by the women they love. Love gives hope to men, and it gives them a reason to fight and live. Most love makes people be willing to die for one another, and this connects with war. Love can end wars, and love can end in a war. Love and war are connected: one can lead to another, one intensifies the other, and one can destroy the other.

My Society

My society would be focused around the leadership of Gandalf the White Wizard. Gandalf is very wise and would be able to devise the major plans for the society. His leadership was demonstrated in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. He was able to organize people of many different races into achieving a common goal, which was no easy task. Gandalf would surely by the person to lead this society based upon his wisdom and magical ability.

Under Gandalf there are several key supporters. One of these members is Nurse Joy from the Pokémon series. During each episode of the Pokémon TV show, Nurse Joy is able to cure various illnesses. She is a capable healer who would be very important to the society. She is also extremely polite and helpful, so she would comply with whatever guidelines she was asked to follow.

Jimmy Neutron is another important part of the society. He would always be updating the technology in the area. This would make thing very efficient, provided his inventions do not backfire as the sometimes do in his television show. Jimmy is also somewhat of a comedian and an entertainer. This is because many of his inventions could serve multiple purposes. They were both useful and entertaining. He could invent things that would improve every part of the society due to his large intellect.

Darth Vader would be the one who would keep society in line. Given his dominant traits observed in The Star Wars Saga, he would easily be able to keep everyone in control. This is because of his army of stormtoopers, which he is seldom lacking, and his ability to use the Dark Side of The Force. He would instill fear into any revolutionaries, who would be far too scared to challenge Darth Vader. Even if some one were daring enough to stand up to him they would most certainly perish before his might.

Lastly, Optimus Prime would be the hero of this society. Should anything ever happen to go wrong he could save the day. Hopefully this would be a rare circumstance, and things would seldom go wrong. But if there were ever a need for a hero, he more than meets the requirement. Also, since Optimus is a Transformer, he could remain in truck mode, and stay out of the way when he was not needed. He could stop any evil forces that wished to destroy the society. He would work in cooperation with Gandalf, Jimmy Neutron, and Darth Vader. All of these people together could not be overcome by anyone.

When considering possible problems of this society, there are a few that do come to mind. Firstly, there is no prominent womanly figure. Gandalf is the fatherly figure of the society, but there is no queen or lover or princess or mother. This could result in some imbalance. Another problem is the malfunctioning of Jimmy’s inventions. His inventions often go wrong, which make for great TV episodes, but they do not make for good societal inventions. Jimmy would have to work extra hard in order to make sure nothing went wrong. Possibly the biggest problem is having Darth Vader as a part of this society. He is the biggest threat and a danger to the well being of the society. After all, he is a member of the Dark Side. He would have to be controlled and used as an enforcer only. However, whenever someone in Star Wars attempted to control Vader, he killed them. Hopefully this would not be the case in this society. Vader would have to use his evil powers on members of the society only when necessary. If he turned against the establishment, which is not unlikely, he would have to be controlled. The only one who may have a chance against Vader is Optimus Prime. This would leave a huge responsibility on Optimus’ shoulders because should he fail, the society would break down.

Essential Question #4

We begin to see seduction and lust corrupt Gawain when he has an affair with the wife of his host. The host was extremely hospitable to Gawain because he was a knight. Knights during these times were greatly respected because they were supposed to follow the noble chivalric code. Gawain's host expects him to do the same and does not suspect him of any misdeeds. However, Gawain has become corrupted by his weakness for women. This seems to be Gawain's essential flaw that is unavoidable. He is confronted by women in many circumstances, so it will be difficult for him to overcome this character flaw. When he is confronted by his host's wife he gives in to the temptation. The author is trying to tells us that may be another circumstance in  the future when Gawain will be able to resist breaking his chivalric code, but currently he is giving in to temptation and he is weak.

Code for Relationships in 2009

1. If you love a girl, she deserves to know, because this is information that will change her life and yours. Do not keep your love a secret.

2. Expect to pay when you go on dates with her. She may someday decide to pay, but always expect this to be your responsibility.
3. Do not change yourself for a girl, be who you are, or else she will realize that you are a fake.
4. If you are lucky enough to end up in a relationship with a girl that you love, treasure her and keep her close to you.

5. Never appreciate her any less than you did when you first fell in love with her. Never take her for granted no matter how long you are together. Always keep that feeling of initial love.

6. Her happiness should be the source of your happiness.

7. If making her happy does not bring you complete joy, then you are with the wrong girl.
8. Do not pester her, if she wants to be alone for a while, let her.

9. Do everything that you can to protect her and keep her safe. You should be willing to give everything up for her sake if you truly love her.
10. You have to be strong for her, sometimes you will have your own problems to deal with, but she should always come first.
11. Don’t leave her for selfish reasons, spend as much time with her as possible be with her as much as you can because making her happy makes you happy.
12. Tell her that you love her, but do not make these words meaningless, you must show her what love is, not just tell her, or else those three words will lose significance.
13. If she decides that she no longer wants to be with you, let her go. If you love her, you will want her to be happy no matter what, even if that mean she has to leave you. If she is happier without you, then you have to let her go.

Beowulf 2

Discuss biblical allusions and religious symbolism in Beowulf.

There are many instances of biblical allusions in Beowulf. One example is that Beowulf is regarded as being “chosen by God” to do great things. Beowulf himself often says that he is only able to survive these ferocious battles because God protects him. He also says that he has courage to be victorious in battle, and this courage can be compared to faith in God’s protection. This is similar to the role of a prophet in the Bible, who is chosen by God to accomplish a certain task. Beowulf’s task is saving the Danes from the evil of Grendel and Grendel’s mother. Beowulf follows Christian beliefs so far, and this has made him very successful.

There is another instance in this reading that seems to be a direct Biblical reference. After Beowulf uses the sword that belonged to the race of giants to kill Grendel’s mother, he returns with the hilt. Then a story is told of how the race of giants was destroyed by a massive flood in ancient times. This is exactly like the story of Noah in the Bible. When people turned away from God, a massive flood destroyed them all, just like the giants.

Beowulf 1

What are the social obligations of a hero? Is Beowulf aware of his deification process?

A hero is a person who is admired for their achievements and noble characteristics. These characteristics usually include bravery, courage, strength, persistence, and loyalty. Based on these qualities, a hero is expected by their community to act in a certain way. This makes the hero obligated to protect the standards of being a hero. They must live up to the expectations that society has for them. Heroes must be willing to take leadership roles during times of crisis. Heroes should only place their trust in others of whom they are certain to be loyal. They should never abandon their people, or give up. If a hero gives up, then they are no longer a hero. They must also be willing to sacrifice themselves in order to protect the greater good. They must be completely selfless.

Beowulf is not yet aware of his deification process. Many characters thus far have recognized his name, and known him to be strong and brave. These seem to be similar to characteristics of a hero, but not yet a god. He is aware that he is viewed as a hero, but he does not seem himself as a god. He is taking on the characteristic of a hero by journeying to a foreign land, and intending to slay the evil beast, Grendel. Beowulf is respected by his fellow Geats, so they follow him towards his goal. Beowulf is seen as a hero, and may be on the road towards becoming a god, but as of now he is not aware of it.

Pride and Prejudice Essay

Both pride and prejudice are flaws, which are easily contracted. In November of 1797 Jane Austen’s novel titled First Impressions was rejected from being published. In 1812 she revised the novel, and accurately titled it Pride and Prejudice. This title better suited the book because the two protagonists of the novel are affected by these qualities. Elizabeth Bennet, the main female protagonist, judges her acquaintances based upon selective information, and she is proud when these judgments are correct. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the main male protagonist, is disliked because of his proud behavior. As the novel progresses the love between these to characters becomes what cures them of these bad habits. Pride and Prejudice is the most suitable title for this novel because it directly relates to the relationship between the two most important characters, whereas First Impressions only connects to Elizabeth’s prejudiced attitude towards others.

            Pride is the major fault of Mr. Darcy’s character, and it is this pride that initiates Elizabeth’s prejudice towards him. At the ball in the opening scene of the novel Darcy establishes his character with this rude comment, “She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me” (Austen 13). This is Mr. Darcy’s first interaction with Elizabeth, and it establishes his pride. He dances very little at the ball, and this offends most of the people attending it. This instance is what makes Elizabeth then think of Darcy as “the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world” (15).

            Elizabeth’s prejudice develops further as the novel progresses. She selectively chooses to believe only the information that supports her initial judgments. When Elizabeth first meets Mr. Wickham, she is attracted to his handsome features and agreeable attitude. She becomes inclined to believe his story about Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth searches for negative information on Mr. Darcy, and she is pleased whenever she acquires any. When Mr. Wickham tells his false tale that ruins Mr. Darcy’s name, she believes all that he says because Elizabeth is prejudiced against Mr. Darcy. She is entertained and fascinated by this rumor because Elizabeth takes pride in the accuracy of her initial prejudice. C. S. Lewis describes the situation that is occurring with Elizabeth in Mere Christianity: “There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others” (Lewis 121). Elizabeth does not recognize the pride she has within herself because she is too occupied noticing it in Mr. Darcy as a result of her prejudice towards him.                                                                                                                                                                         Both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s feelings change after his proposal to her. Darcy states that it was hard for his love to overcome the many obstacles it had to face, such as his love would result in a very imprudent marriage on his part. Elizabeth, though offended that he insulted her family “could not be insensible to the compliment of such a man’s affection” (Austen 179). This shows that Elizabeth yet again has pride in the fact that she has inspired love in Mr. Darcy, despite her hatred for him. Elizabeth states that she would still deny him even if Mr. Darcy had “behaved in a more gentleman-like manner” (182). This phrase stays with Mr. Darcy and causes him to realize how they way he acted came across as proud. Elizabeth denies Mr. Darcy on the grounds that he ruined the happiness of Jane and Mr. Wickham.                                                In order to set the situation straight, Mr. Darcy writes a letter to Elizabeth. He justifies his motives for both offences that Elizabeth accuses him of. It is from this point on that these two characters begin to fall in love. It is ironically Elizabeth’s prejudice that causes her to fall in love with Mr. Darcy. This is because after reading the letter, Elizabeth realizes the error of her judgment, and she feels guilty for having judged him unfairly. This also takes away Elizabeth’s pride in her prejudice, because she realizes it was not as precise as she thought. Now that the other issues have been resolved, the only quality in Mr. Darcy, which Elizabeth dislikes, is his pride, and this issue is too resolved.                                                                                                                        After Elizabeth’s comment regarding Mr. Darcy’s behavior, he begins to change. She no longer sees him as the arrogant man she initially thought him to be. By the end of the novel Darcy states that Elizabeth is the cause for this change in him: “You taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased” (343). Mr. Darcy is made aware of his pride by Elizabeth’s prejudice towards him, and once he is aware of it he is able to end it. Mr. Darcy’s pride was the last fault that Elizabeth could find in him, and now that he has been freed of it, she falls in love with him. The two protagonists exhibited pride and prejudice, and they were cured of these qualities by each other, thus resulting in their love.

            It is apparent that the title of this novel should indeed be Pride and Prejudice. Had the title of this book been First Impressions it would only be half as effective as the book’s current title. The first impressions that are made upon Elizabeth do not incorporate what is occurring with Mr. Darcy, the main mail protagonist, or any of the other characters. Nowhere in the novel does it describe the first impressions of Elizabeth on the other characters. This title lacks in comparison to Pride and Prejudice, which tells the story of the two main characters, and how their love grew, all within two main qualities.

            Both pride and prejudice play large roles in the novel, which is why they are the only two suitable words for the title. Mr. Darcy’s initial pride inspires the prejudice of Elizabeth. Whenever Elizabeth’s prejudice is correct, she takes pride in it. When Darcy proposes to Elizabeth in a proud manner offending her family, she rejects him, and this makes Darcy aware of his pride. Then, when Elizabeth realizes that her prejudice is incorrect because of the letter from Mr. Darcy, she no longer takes pride in it, and stops being prejudice. Elizabeth falls in love with Darcy because he was able to eliminate his proud mannerisms, and Darcy falls in love with Elizabeth because she treated him differently then all of the other women who attempted to court him, through her prejudice. These two qualities flow through the novel between the two main characters, and they cure each other of them. Pride and Prejudice is the correct title because it encompasses how their love came to be with only three words.