Yvain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Yvain - Essay Example Yvain or the Knight with the Lion tells of Yvain, a knight in King Arthur’s court, whose adventures are initially kicked off by his desire to prove his bravery in the eyes of his fellow knights. Chivalry and courtly love are the two elements underpinning and moving the story, which is set in the medieval period of the famed fictional Arthurian era. Moreover, Chretien de Troyes’ tale highlights the importance of good reputation in the medieval period among knights and how reputation is equated to acts of chivalry and bravery especially for the benefit of the helpless like women. In Yvain or the Knight with the Lion, the reader is apprised of how a knight’s reputation is made, kept and lost. Apparently, reputation for chivalry, honor and bravery is the all-most important consideration by which each knight lives by. The story’s main character Yvain is a proud man who is impelled to rush and defend his honor from a disparaging remark, obviously made in jest and presumably after several bottles of wine, insinuating inability to make good his words. The challenge, to which he rises started when his cousin Calogrenant told a group of knights that he had been defeated by a knight after he had stirred a storm-brewing magical basin at the edge of a forest. This made Yvain censure his cousin for keeping this from him for so long and promptly vowed to avenge his shame by killing the knight himself. Kay, another knight, mocks Yvain’s pronouncement insinuating that he is merely heady with wine. Stung by the remark, Yvain secretly left for the place mentioned by Calogrenant even when King Arthur himself has scheduled a date to see the place himself (de Troyes Vv 1-746). It is evident from the initial events of the tale that reputation is very important to medieval knights. Yvain’s decision to scurry secretly even to the point of

State House Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

State House - Essay Example The path to Doric Hall from Beacon Hill is accessed through a staircase with the main doors remaining closed except on three occasions. This is probably representative of the â€Å"gate to the City†, which is informed by the only times these doors are opened. First, the US President opens the doors when a foreign head of state visits Boston, as well as a visit. The doors are also opened during the Governor’s last day in office as he exits for the final time. The Governor walks out on that day as a final act of re-joining the people, walking alone from his executive chamber through Doric Hall on the second floor.Governor William Weld who went, down the steps, to meet Lt. Governor Paul Cellucci, has flouted this. On the other hand, Cellucci, in turn, failed to do it because the front of the building was being renovated. Jane Swift, who was in an acting capacity, chose to take the walk with her family, while mitt Romney had to take it the day before his last day in office as Deval Patrick decided to take his oath and give his inaugural address on the staircase. Finally, on return from battle, the doors are opened when a regimental flag is returned to the state. However, because Washington D.C. now receives all the regimental flags, the last time that this was done was following the end of the Vietnam War.The legislature system has some obvious weaknesses and strengths. One of its key strengths is the ability of a bicameral legislature, as seen at the Boston State House, is that it is able to divide power. This keeps power from becoming too concentrated in the hands of one house, i.e., either the Senate or the House of Representatives (Todd 25). Essentially, the House of Representatives in the United States begins the appropriation of the bill. The Senate, on the other hand, confirms the appointment of the Governor or President, as well as approving decisions on state issues or foreign policy. Through this kind of spreading of power, there are checks affected on the entire system since it makes it very difficult to influence both houses, as compared to one house in the unicameral system. The bicameral legislature also balances between broad and focused issues (Todd 25). In most bicameral legislative systems, one house, in this case the Senate has fewer representatives, even though they are