Love, War, and Chastity

Though throughout the Knight’s Tale Arcite may not have seemed an evildoer, his desire for Emily is rather vicious. He is the one that started the conflict when he falls for Emily even though Palamon saw her first. As we see through the Temple of Mars, there is also much injustice depicted on the walls of the temple, for example, Caesar’s assassination. This injustice then broods more violence as Arcite and Palamon battle for Emily’s love. Arcite also prays to win in battle for Mars is the God of War. Desiring victory had its limitations; it did not entail love. In the end, Arcite got what he asked for. He wins the battle, but the gods decide that Palamon should have Emily. If Arcite wanted to win Emily’s hand, worshipping a God whose temple depicted death and sorrow was definitely the wrong idea.

I totally believe that love and war coexist. Love is essential for war, and war is essential for love. As seen through the Knight’s Tale, the love for Emily that Palamon and Arcite express causes a disagreement that leads to violence. Without the love they had for Emily, this war would never have occurred. In the end of the story, Palamon wins the hand of Emily only after battling Arcite and the gods pushing Arcite of his horse. This violence was necessary for Palamon to win his love. One has to remember that love and war are abstract, and therefore their meanings or purposes can be complementary.

Essential Question 5

For my perfect society, I tried to balance the necessities of a community that would function only with five people. The people I have chosen range from a primetime comedian to a Trinity Catholic student. With these five people, Dave Chappelle, Peter Petrelli, Dumbledore, the Virgin Mary, and Dave Jackson Maximillian Oreste, I believe society can not only maintain stability, but also prosper to new heights.

My first choice was Dave Chappelle. Every society needs a jest or a comedian, and Dave Chappelle fits that role perfectly. The thing that is special about his lude performances is that he does not single out a group of people to make fun off. Chappelle teases the whole spectrum of society, even himself. Chappelle allows his jokes to critique society in what it is doing incorrectly. Chappelle offers entertainment, but also direction for society to take. He can also play the role of a procreator.

My second choice was Peter Petrelli. Peter is hero with the special ability to absorb the powers of others. Though Peter may not have anyone to absorb powers from in this five-person society, Peter has already contracted many powers including, healing, generating electricity, super human speed and strength, flight, telepathy, invisibility, pyrokinesis, and space-time travel. With these abilities, Peter can be an enforcer, protector, energy and fuel producer, or a healer. Peter could also play the role of a procreator. With his tenacity to fight for whatever is right, society will definitely find success.

My third choice was Albus Dumbledore. The old headmaster of Hogwarts has all the qualifications to be a leader as one can see through the Harry Potter series, but it is often forgotten that he is a teacher. We have seen him nurture one of the best magicians of all time, Harry Potter. With Dumbledore’s leadership and teaching capabilities, society can be well educated and secure. With his magical powers, Dumbledore can also fit a plethora of other roles.

My fourth choice was the Virgin Mary. Not only does Mary provide for a religious symbol, but also a motherly figure. We can see numerous accounts in the Bible of how she cared for Jesus and worried about him just like any parent today. Mary was also clean from sin and would be a great role model for people to follow. Lastly Mary may have been a virgin, but she was young. Therefore, she would also fit the role of a procreator.

My last choice was Dave Oreste. Many may underestimate the value of Dave, but he actually does provide a crucial role in society. Dave plays a scapegoat. As society prospers, it will need someone to take the blame so that those playing more authoritative roles have time to fix their wrongs and keep their image clean. It sounds wrong, yet there are numerous amounts of scapegoats today. They help maintain stability in times of crisis. Society would never be stable without Dave.

All in all, my society fulfills the many roles necessary for a working community. There are good leaders, procreators, educators, guardians, and fuel producers. These are all necessities of a working society. Though my society has these roles fulfilled, it lacks a villain. Many may think a not having a villain would root out violence and evil, but villains play a role crucial to the fate of the people. Without a villain, leaders or whoever controls the public cannot have a hold on the people they rule. With a villain, members of society are forced to stay loyal to their own rulers. Besides this minor blemish, I believe my society would function successfully.