The Knight’s Tale by Chaucer

NET / SLET / TRB STUDY GUIDE
Subject: English, Date : 12th March, 2018

This is the first tale in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. The primary source is Boccaccio's epic poem “Teseida” written in XII books in 9896 lines but Chaucer reduced it into IV parts and 2250 lines, though it is the longest tale of all Canterbury Tales. Shakespeare adopted the same story in his “” The Two Noble Kinsmen” in coloration with Fletcher and Dryden's longest poem “Palomon and Arcite” is also based on the same story.

Part I begins with the description of how Theseus, King of Athens after his war with Amazons marries Hypolypta and returns to Athens with Emeley, sister of Hypolypta.  On the way he kills the tyrant Ceron to help people of Thebes and finds two wounded Knights Palamon and Arcite whom he imprisons in his palace cell. Both the knights fall in love with Emeley  and their friendship turns into enmity for a beautiful lady.  After several years Arcite is released from the jail with the help of his friend who  is also a friend to Theseus but with a condition that he should never return to Athens.  Both the knights feel luckier because Palamon can love Emeley better without a rival and Arcite thinks of raising an army and winning Emeley.

In Part II, Lamenting alone in vain and ordered by Mercury, the messenger of gods,  Arcite  returns to Athens but in the disguise of Philostrate as a page to Emeley in order to get close to her and soon earns high position in King's palace.  Palamon on the other hand drugs the jailer and escapes from jail to a  grove where he happens to see Arcite singing of his love.  Both knights engage in a duel but is prevented by king Theseus who arrives there and decides to execute both knights since they have violated the laws.  However intervened by Emeley, he orders both knights to raise an army of hundred men and return in a year for a judicial tournament, a legal and formal combat to win Emeley.

In Part III, both knights return after one year with their own men and get ready for the duel. On the previous day of the tournament, Palamon visits the temple of Venus and prays for his marriage with Emeley, Arcite visits the shrine of Mars, the goddess of war and prays for his victory in the combat. Emeley too goes to the temple of Diana, the goddess of chastity and prays to remain unmarried or marry the one who truly loves her.  All the prayers are answered and it leads to confusion in heaven where Saturn, the God of Destiny declares that all promises of gods will be kept.

Part IV describes the judicial tournament in which Arcite wins the battle by wounding Palamon severely who is taken away from the arena as per tournament rules.  But, Saturn sends a furry from Pluto to arouse the horse of Arcite which overthrows him and drags him to death.  In deathbed, Arcite prays to Emeley to marry Palamon who faithfully and sincerely loves her. Then comes “the first mover", the long speech running into about 100 lines by Theseus who consoles Palamon and Emeley mourning for the death of Arcite. This speech, though reveals the impermanence of all things on earth, is a parody of Boethius's “the Consolation of Philosophy”, the greatest last classical work of the west for medieval England.  The knight’s tale ends with the marriage of Palamon and Emeley bringing out chivalry, romance, war and honour chiefly attributed to Knights.