Aspects of Knighthood in The Knight’s Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer
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Aspects of Knighthood in The Knight’s Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer
In the tale, “The Knight,” the author Geoffrey Chaucer presents a multilayer tale depicting the knight as honest, responsible, polite, and truthful. Also, the knight is honored for his abilities and loyalty to the king. From the above depiction of the author’s character, the knight can be presumed as a well-respected gentleman; more so, he can be perceived as a principled person with high moral and ethical standards. In the tale, Chaucer makes embellished assertions towards the knight regarding his qualifications and achievements. The medieval period’s tale gives insight into the unique representation of two crusaders who are expected to conduct themselves reputably and faultlessly.
The knight’s tale is an impeccable fit for the knight such that it is based on affection, morality, chivalry, and exploration. Also, the good association of the knight with women can be used as a reference point to acknowledge that the author reveals the notion of chivalry during the middle ages. The story is centered on good conduct and moral standards; for instance, just like the knight, Theseus has been portrayed as an embodiment of perfect social impartiality. This essay will outline and explain the aspect of knighthood and how a knight was portrayed in the 14th century based on The Knight’s Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer.
The knight’s tale is a story embodied in morality, loyalty, and love; for instance, the author uses several characters to present how a knight was expected to conduct themselves in the middle ages. For example, Chaucer presents the two crusaders as flawless people with a sense of chivalry. However, the author focuses on several defects regarding kingship and knighthood and highlights the consequences of selecting and preferring specific aspects of the chivalric conduct code (Martí, 2000). Chaucer employs satire in the plot to express how knighthood in the 14th century became avaricious and lost its sense of chivalry. Also, the story reveals the significant association between kingship and knighthood; for instance, a knight will conduct themselves expectedly if the king will also follow good moral standards, furthermore, in a perfect chivalric environment, the tasks of the king and the knight should be in line with each other such that they are required to fulfill both roles.
More so, Chaucer uses the concept of knighthood to give an insight of the crusades, specifically which occurred during the hundred years wars; for instance, the knight in this context is presumed to be a worrier who has been in combat multiple times (Chaucer, 2016). Based on this notion, the night can be thought of as a person who has also committed murderous acts on the battlefield. Rather than being perceived entirely as a nobleman, critics have described the knight otherwise regarding this role and his position in the hundred years war in the 14th century, more so, the knights capacity to perform kill acts on other men contradicts his description as outlined in the prologue (Diamond, 2011).
Furthermore, the author’s choice of words brings ambiguity in some aspects of the knight compared to the medieval age and the contemporary age. For instance, the author uses the term “worthiness” when describing the knight in the prologue; in the medieval period, the word would simply imply an experienced worrier, while in modern-day history, it implies a sense of usefulness and heroism (Rigby, 2009). Therefore, the 14th-century depiction of knighthood can be associated with the warrior. In addition, the knight is not seen in the service of women or serving the king as many might perceive but is seen fighting in crusades. On the other hand, the aspect of knighthood and chivalry in the 14th century can be expressed as a fading association such that the love and devotion towards women through chivalry started deteriorating as Chaucer presents the knight as a person determined to get wealth and opportunities rather than devoting their time tom serving women (Han, 2020).
The aspect of knighthood can also be perceived as calf centered. The knight’s tale pictures the knight as a person who thinks about his endeavors only; he is incapable of thinking in a courteous and kind mind since he is not chivalrous.
In conclusion, Chaucer’s the knight’s tale outlines the aspects of knighthood in the 14th century and how a night was expected to conduct himself in society. Chaucer describes the knight as a flawless person expected to act with integrity, love, and loyalty in the prologue. The knight should be a conscientious person and possess high ethical and moral standards. The author further presents the association between knighthood and chivalry in the 14th century; however, he also focuses on the declining association and the consequences of selecting specific codes of standards to follow and discard others (Martí, 2000). In the text, the knight can be viewed from different perspectives; for instance, he has been presented as a key player in the hundred years wars in the medieval ages through his participation in multiple battles. The knight tries to act per the expected moral standards and principles; however, he encounters flaws and shortcomings outlined above. In a nutshell, the above essay presents the aspect of kinghood as depicted by Chaucer and the flaws and consequences related.
References
Chaucer, G. (2016). The knight’s tale. Cambridge University Press.
Diamond, L. (2011). Criticism of Degeneration in the Knight’s Tale. Williams Prize.
Han, V. Y. (2020). Chaucer’s Critique of Romance: Anelida and Arcite, Troilus and Criseyde, and the” Knight’s Tale.”
Martí, J. S. (2000). The representation of chivalry in The Knight’s Tale. Revista Alicantina de Estudios Ingleses, 13, 161-73.
Rigby, S. H. (2009). Wisdom and Chivalry: Chaucer’s Knight’s Tale and Medieval Political Theory (Vol. 4). Brill.