The Knights Tale

July 8th 2020

Amidst the 14th Century, Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the renowned Canterbury Tales which have prevailed throughout the centuries, being translated from their original Old English text to be properly understood in Modern-day times. It was composed of 24 stories that spurred over 17,000 lines in one long poem that took on a range of different perspectives as part of the narrative from well-regarded Knights to a (presumably dishonest) bawdy Miller. In this article, I focus on the first tale after the General prologue, known as ‘The Knight's Tale’. The Knight's Tale tells the account of 2 royal cousins who both fall desperately in love with a fair-maiden Emelye, sister in law to the King Theseus. Yet one, (Arcite) is banished from the land, unable to look upon her ever-again, whilst the other (Palamon) can see her but only from the confinements of a castle prison. Thus, it is a romantic poem, that explores the themes, ideals and motifs of courtly love and the balance of life.  
Personally I perceived the theme of love to be the sole focus of the tale, with the cousins motivations and desires being driven by their compassion for Emelye and the hope to have her hand in marriage. From the first instance of Palamon catching sight of her up in his and Acite’s prison “He cast his eye upon Emelya, And therwithal he bleynte and cride, "A!" As though he stongen were unto the herte.” [He cast his eye upon Emelye, And with that he turned pale and cried, "A!" As though he were stabbed unto the heart.] This vivid description reflects the effect that love instantly has upon Palamon, indicating how powerful an emotion it is, and how strong a driving force it becomes throughout the poem as a whole. Also, this excessive reaction reflects the passionate, all-consuming, aristocratic love that is largely the invention of Courtly Love within the Middle Ages.This idea regarding the power of love is expressed through Chaucer's expert poetic device of rhyming couplets that keep the pace of the poem regular which is crucial considering the length of it. Also it could be symbolically perceived as a beating of the heart, as both Arcites and Palamons hearts yearn for Emelye. Chaucer makes clear that Emelye is the sole focus of this longing for love, through stylistically making her appear desirable through the colour of her attire “And Emelye, Clothed al in grene” [And Emelye, Clothed all in green] as it symbolizes the season of Epiphany; celebrating fertility, nature, bounty and hope. Furthermore, in medieval minesongs, geen was perceived as the colour of love as it was a sacred colour, subsequently making Emelye the token of their love. 
Throughout The Knight's Tale, love has been made the driving force, yet although the intentions appear romantic, the effect of love is portrayed quite devastatingly. From the ill-descriptions regarding the impact of love upon Palamon, to the unfortunate death of Arcite after battle, the poem tells of love’s disruptive power, thus introducing the paradoxical situation of the princes. Concluding that love, although being perceived as a romantic and passionate emotion, can also be very destructive, which Chaucer makes prevalent.
Another theme within this tale is the balance of life, particularly regarding the instability of human life, as joy and suffering appear connected at the hip with the balance of one’s fortune coinciding with a devastating downfall. The clearest depiction of this is Arcite’s success of attaining Emelye’s hand resulting in the loss of Palamon’s hope for her love. Yet this is quickly altered by the sudden devastating death of Arcite, which is followed by the union between Emelye and Palamon. Thus the quick movements of despair and happiness allow a stability to be established throughout the poem so that one does not dwell upon a situation for long. Good and bad fortune are never far apart, not only in this poem but within life too, suggesting perhaps that there is a moral order that underlies the surprising mishaps and disasters of the narratives. Chaucer exemplifies the idea that with human life comes moral understanding, embodied by Egeus yet reflected by Theseus at the end of the tale when he conveys a message of humility regarding Arcite’s death. Yet this moral understanding is influenced by the role of women within this poem, as they are repeatedly shown to alter the direction of actions from a ruthless to a more accepting judgement. Primarily this is made evident when King Theseus is about to kill Arcite and Palamon on the spot for being traitors, yet it is only upon the women begging him to reconsider that the King decides on a more understanding option. This illustrates the role of men and women in medieval culture; Women are expected to rely on, appeal to and respect mens decisions, wisdom, and compassion as they rule and maintain order which embodies the hierarchical structure of society. Yet this example of the women pleading for mercy for the two knights, alongside Theseus' acquiescence shows the influential role of women.  Therefore, this tale can be viewed through a feminist lense as women appear to affcet the rolling plot right from the start when they mourn their husbands which influence Theseus to atack Thebus. This female intercession depicts that every good male depends upon a woman to counsel him from being ruthless.