The Knight’s Tale
Parallels, Contradictions… and Thirds
Summary: King Theseus come in triumphant with his newly conquered wife, ….A group of women
complain about the dishonorable way their husbands bodies are treated and beg Theseus to help…Theseus
does and locks up two young knights Arcite and Palamon….These young knights both fall in love with
the queen’s sister Emile and these once friends are enemies… Arcite is released but disguises himself as a
servant to work for Theseus. Palamon escapes from prison. Remarkably the two knights run into each
other and fight over Emily…Theseus finds them and wants to kill them but the women ask for mercy…
He grants it and in one year the knights are to come back with a thousand Knights and they will have a
contest…they do (before this Emily, Arcite, and Palamon all pray to a god – Diane, Mars, and Venus and
both men are promised what they ask)…Arcite wins but falls off his horse and dies….Palamon is awarded
the girl even though he technically lost the game.
An Introduction to the Canterbury Tales: Reading, Fiction, Context pg. 47-53
Main Questions:
 Emotion as Bondage?
o Why is Love painful? In the story…
 It brings conflict between the Knights
 Arcite’s first reaction to Seeing Emile is like being wounded
 Is mortal life glamorous or hopeless?
 Do we have free will or any power over what happens to us?
 Is there loving order behind the universe?
Main themes: Order and Sadness
 Harmony linked with male domination
 Marriage linked with conquest
o Theseus and Hippolyta
o the Fight for Emily
Opposites:
 Tyranny and
Kingship
 Love and War



Harmony and Suffering
Thebes and Athens
Venus and Mars


Man and Woman
Youth and Maturity
Parallels:
 Two brothers
Both captured
Fall in love the same day
Same woman
Both a champion in battle
Both win in the end (but in different ways)
Third Force:
 Diane – alongside Venus and Mars
 Theseus – overruling Palamon and Arcite
 Time – alongside Love and Conflict