GEOFFREY CHAUCER The Knight's Tale

Chaucer was trying to define the ways of man to god and to each other. The shockingsse of the knights is meant to symbolize the nobility of the gods "A pair of knights, equal in worthiness, vie for Emily, who lead be forsaken by her goddess. All three are of noble birth, under the impartial rule of Theseus, the epitome of heavenly rulership. Mirroring the microcosm of man is the macrocosm of the gods" (Anfield 2).

The Knight's Tale is first after the general prologue because when brief straws to see who goes first, to the delight of all the knight draws the shortest straw. However, the author does non seem to enjoy the war-like atmosphere of Theseus' Thebes. In one handing over we see his criticism of war which appears to be the piling up of dead bodies for personal motive "And dide with al the contree as hym lest. / To ransake in the taas of bodyes dede, / Hem for to strepe of harneys and of wede, / The pilours diden bisynesse and cure / After the bataille and disconfiture" (Chaucer II. 1004-1008).

The interactions between the gods and the knights are meant to let some of the philosophy of the medieval period in term of god, life and the meaning of earthly existence. Both Palamon and Arcite meditate on philosophy, with Arcite wondering about the purveyance of God and the ignorance of human will mend Palamon also reflects on confusion and rage in the midst of the earthly realm in which he finds himself "O crueel goddes that governe / This

Anfield, K. Chaucer's Knight's Tale. hypertext transfer protocol://www.chalacyn.com/~talyce/text/knight.html, 1996, 1-4.

Chaucer, G. The Knight's Tale. (Part III, 1023-1624). http://www.librarius.

com/can floors.htm, 1-13.

Chaucer, G. The Knight's Tale. (Part I, 1-496). http://www.librarius.com/cantales.htm, 1-11.

Chaucer, G. The Knight's Tale. (Part II, 497-1022). http://www.librarius.com/cantales.htm, 1-12.

The above sentiments are in stark personal credit line to the words of Arcite when he is contemplating the afterlife near the end of the tale "What is this world? what asketh men to have? / Now with his love, now in his colde grave / Allone, withouen any compaignye. / Fare well, my sweete foo, myn Emilye! / And softer taak me in your armes tweye" (Chaucer IV. 2777-2781). As untold as this tale is of knightly love and chivalry, it is also an indictment of war and a philosophical musing about man's birth to other men and the gods, particularly mortality and the afterlife.

Murphy, B. (Ed.). Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia. 4th Edit. sunrise(prenominal) York, HarperCollins Publishers, 1996.

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