Canterbury Tales

1. Canterbury Tales Characterization of The Knight

2. THE KNIGHT A knight there was, and he a worthy man, Who, from the moment that he first began To ride about the world, loved chivalry, Truth, honour, freedom and all courtesy. Full worthy was he in his liege-lord's war, And therein had he ridden (none more far) As well in Christendom as heathenesse, And honoured everywhere for worthiness. At Alexandria, he, when it was won; Full oft the table's roster he'd begun Above all nations' knights in Prussia. In Latvia raided he, and Russia, No christened man so oft of his degree. In far Granada at the siege was he Of Algeciras, and in Belmarie. At Ayas was he and at Satalye When they were won; and on the Middle Sea At many a noble meeting chanced to be. Of mortal battles he had fought fifteen, And he'd fought for our faith at Tramissene Three times in lists, and each time slain his foe. This self-same worthy knight had been also At one time with the lord of Palatye Against another heathen in Turkey: And always won he sovereign fame for prize. Though so illustrious, he was very wise And bore himself as meekly as a maid. He never yet had any vileness said, In all his life, to whatsoever wight. He was a truly perfect, gentle knight. But now, to tell you all of his array, His steeds were good, but yet he was not gay. Of simple fustian wore he a jupon Sadly discoloured by his habergeon; For he had lately come from his voyage And now was going on this pilgrimage. The Knight’s Portrait

3. And therein had he ridden (none more far) As well in Christendom as heathenesse, And honoured everywhere for worthiness. At Alexandria, he, when it was won; Full oft the table's roster he'd begun Above all nations' knights in Prussia. In Latvia raided he, and Russia, No christened man so oft of his degree. In far Granada at the siege was he Of Algeciras, and in Belmarie. At Ayas was he and at Satalye When they were won; and on the Middle Sea At many a noble meeting chanced to be. Of mortal battles he had fought fifteen, And he'd fought for our faith at Tramissene Three times in lists, and each time slain his foe. These lines show that the Knight has fought all over. He was a good and prestigious soldier and generally was victorious in his battles. Life Experiences

4. Line 44 - 46 Who had from the day on which he first began To ride abroad had followed chivalry Truth, honor, generousness, and courtesy. Line 69 – 71 He was of sovereign value in all eyes. And though so much distinguished, he was wise And in his bearing modest as a maid. And never yet a boorish thing had said In all his life to any, come what might These lines show that the Knight was a chivalrous gentleman. He represented ideal knightly behavior and was well liked. He was wise, but he did not let it go to his head. He never spoke rudely to anyone. Personality

5. Ln. 75 – 78 Speaking of his equipment, he possessed Fine horses, but he was not gaily dressed. He wore a fustian tunic stained and dark With smudges where his armor had left a mark… The knight rode on a sturdy and fit horse, but he was dressed in a thick, wool tunic that was stained where his armor had been. This reiterates that he had been in many battles. The fact that he is not wearing his armor may reiterate that he is humble and not a show off. He wasn’t trying to impress anybody. Appearance

6. The Knight is obviously of the feudal class since he fought to protect the land. Based on his descriptions, Chaucer obviously viewed the Knight in a positive light. This is evident because he portrayed the Knight as humble, well-liked, and a valiant soldier. Chaucer was not satirizing any aspect of the Medieval period through his description of the Knight; he was simply painting a portrait of the ideal knight. Social Status Chaucer’s Attitude

7. The Story Theseus, king of Athens, marries Hippolyta, an Amazon lady he has defeated in battle. The king of neighboring Thebes (Creon) is a tyrant who impiously forbade the burial of enemy dead. Theseus marches on Thebes and defeats the tyrant. After the battle, he condemns two prisoners of war, Arcite (arr-KEE-tay) and Palamon to life in prison for no evident reason. In prison, Arcite and Palamon both fall in love with Emily, Hippolyta's sister. Arcite is eventually released and returns in disguise to court Emily. Palamon eventually escapes. The two men meet by accident in the woods and are fighting viciously when Theseus finds them. He decides to let them fight for Emily's hand. To prepare for the fight, Theseus builds an amphitheater with shrines to Mars (god of war), Venus (goddess of love), and Diana (goddess of hunting, the moon, and celibacy). Arcite prays to Mars to win the battle. Palamon prays to Venus to marry Emily. (Interestingly, Emily prays to stay celibate.) The god Saturn comes up with a plan by which both Mars and Venus can grant the prayers of their supplicants. Arcite wins the battle, but his horse then throws him and his chest is crushed. Dying, he wishes Palamon to wed Emily. Theseus says that in a world of blind luck ("Fortune") and much sadness, we should try to find happiness and to love each other when we can. Palamon and Emily are married and live out their days in complete happiness. The Knight’s Tale

8. The Knight’s Tale • In keeping with his character, the Knight’s Tale is one of romance and courtly love. It is one in which a knight risks death to win the favor of his lady. • This tale has a number of purposes. The first one is to touch on many of the virtues that knights were associated with at that time. These virtues are those of chivalry and honor. The Knight’s story also reflects a knight’s station in life as a warrior who fights for his country, a good and noble cause, and the honor of a lady.