Examples Of Chivalry In The Knight's Tale

The knight in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales “loved chivalry / Truth, honour, freedom, and all courtesy” much like the two noble knights in his tale (Chaucer 2). Chaucer describes the knight as the most perfect knight, having bravely fought in the Crusades and upholding chivalry as every knight should. The knight shows both chivalry, the code of how a knight must act around others, and courtly love, the code of how a knight must act specifically dealing with romance, in his tale (Boucquey). Both Arcita and Palamon, the knights in The Knight’s Tale, demonstrate the characteristics of the code of chivalry. Palamon speaks of how Arcita “ ‘swore to further’ ” him and is “ ‘in duty bound, as knight, to help’ ” him (Chaucer 34). The oath of chivalry requires a knight to be loyal, loyal to their masters and their fellow knights (Boucquey). Palamon brings this up when arguing with Arcita about Emily. Despite the fact that “great was the strife, and long, betwixt the two,” they must withhold …show more content…
When Arcita could not return to Athens to see Emily, “Had never any man so much torture … [and] Bereft he was of sleep and meat and drink, / That lean he grew and dry as shaft” (Chaucer 39). Courtly love “requires that the lover be hopelessly devoted to a lady” that he loves (Boucquey). Arcita shows this quality when he becomes malnourished because he may never see Emily again. Arcita and Palamon argue over who “loved her first” and loved her more (Chaucer 34). Having “a rival for the lady’s love” serves as another quality of courtly love (Boucquey). Arcita and Palamon both fall in love with the beautiful Emily, then duel to find out who wins the girl. Palomino wonders if “she’s woman or goddess” when raving about Emily (33). In the code of courtly love, men “elevate women to near-sacred status” (Boucquey). Palamon, struck by Emily’s beauty, cannot determine if she is celestial or