"The Knight's Tale" (Middle English: "The Knightes Tale") is the first story in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales.
In the "General Prologue," Chaucer describes the Knight as the pilgrim with the highest social rank, though his behavior and clothing are modest. It is stated that he has participated in fifteen military campaigns across many countries and has fought for one pagan ruler against another. While the list of battles is real, the Knight's character is portrayed in an idealized way. Most readers believe Chaucer's description of him as "a verray, parfit gentil knyght" (a true, perfect, noble knight) is sincere. However, some scholars, like Terry Jones, argue that this description might be ironic, suggesting that Chaucer's audience would have understood the Knight to be a soldier who fought for payment. The Knight is joined on his journey by the Squire, his 20-year-old son.
The story explores themes and questions often found in literature about knighthood, such as courtly love and moral challenges.
Sources and composition
The epic poem Teseida (full title Teseida delle Nozze d’Emilia, or "The Theseid, Concerning the Nuptials of Emily") by Giovanni Boccaccio is the source of the story, though Geoffrey Chaucer made many important changes to it. Teseida has 9,896 lines spread across twelve books, while "The Knight's Tale" has only 2,250 lines—though it is still one of the longest poems in The Canterbury Tales. Most of the grand, epic features of Teseida are not included in Chaucer's version. Instead, the poem fits more into the genre of romance. It lacks references to gods or heroes, has fewer descriptions of battles and myths, and shortens details such as Theseus's conquests, the attack on Thebes, and the list of heroes fighting for Palamon and Arcite. The Knight-narrator explains that he skips these details so other pilgrims can share their own stories.
"The Knight's Tale" is considered a chivalric romance, but it differs from similar stories in English or French traditions. It includes philosophical ideas, such as those found in Boethius’s Consolation of Philosophy, mentions astrology, and has connections to epic storytelling.
"The Knight's Tale" is the first story told in The Canterbury Tales, as noted in the "Prologue." The story that follows is told by the drunken Miller and also involves a conflict between two men over a woman. This story is very different from the Knight's tale in tone and style. It lacks the noble or mythical elements of the Knight's tale and instead uses a humorous, crude style called a fabliau, meant to annoy the Knight and entertain the other pilgrims.
Synopsis
Two cousins and knights, Palamon and Arcite, are captured and imprisoned by Theseus, the duke of Athens, after being found unconscious following their battle with Creon. Their cell is in the tower of Theseus’s castle, with a window that looks out over the palace garden. One morning in May, Palamon wakes early and sees Emelye, Theseus’s sister-in-law, in the courtyard picking flowers for a garland. He immediately falls in love with her, unsure if she is human or a goddess. His call is heard by Arcite, who also wakes and sees Emelye. He too falls in love with her. This makes Palamon angry, as he believes he saw her first. Arcite argues that he loved her before knowing she was human and says love has no rules.
The friendship between Palamon and Arcite quickly gets worse because of their competition for Emelye. After several years, Arcite is released from prison with the help of Perotheus, a mutual friend of Theseus and Arcite, who changes Arcite’s punishment from imprisonment to exile. Arcite is unhappy because being away from Emelye feels worse than being in prison. He secretly returns to Athens in disguise and joins Emelye’s household to be near her. Palamon later escapes by giving the jailer a drug and hides in a grove, where he overhears Arcite singing about love and fortune.
They begin to fight each other over who should marry Emelye, but Theseus’s hunting party arrives and stops them. Theseus plans to sentence them to death, but his wife and Emelye protest, so he decides they must compete in a tournament instead. Palamon and Arcite are to gather 100 men each and fight in a large, official tournament. The winner will marry Emelye. The forces are gathered one year later and are treated to a grand banquet by Theseus. On the morning before the tournament, Palamon prays to Venus to make Emelye his wife. Emelye prays to Diana to stay unmarried or to marry the person who truly loves her. Arcite prays to Mars for victory. Theseus sets rules for the tournament: if a man is seriously injured, he must be removed from the battle. Because of this, the narrator says no one was killed.
Both Palamon and Arcite fight bravely, but Palamon is wounded by a sudden sword strike from one of Arcite’s men and is thrown from his horse. Theseus declares the fight over, and Arcite is declared the winner. However, Saturn acts on Venus’s side, causing Arcite’s horse to throw him and crush him, leaving him mortally wounded before he can claim Emelye. As he dies, Arcite tells Emelye she should marry Palamon, as he would be a good husband. After a respectful burial and a time of mourning, Theseus announces that Palamon should marry Emelye, fulfilling all three prayers.
The First Mover
The First Mover, or the Firste Moevere, is a speech given by Theseus in the poem, covering lines 2129 to 2216. This speech ends the story of the poem.
The speech occurs near the end of the poem, after Arcite and Palamon finish fighting for Emelye’s love. Arcite is seriously hurt, and Theseus speaks to comfort Emelye and Palamon as they mourn Arcite’s death.
Theseus begins by talking about the First Mover, a concept from Aristotle’s philosophy. This idea, called the "primum movens" or "unmoved mover," is central to the medieval belief in the "Great Chain of Love," or the natural order that connects everything in the universe. Theseus explains that all living things must eventually die at the right time, using examples like an oak tree, a stone, and a river. He also mentions that all classes of medieval society are subject to death. Then, Theseus discusses how people should respond to death. He argues that it is best to die with a good reputation, on good terms with friends, and with honor. Theseus reassures Emelye and Palamon that Arcite died in this way, as he fought bravely in battle.
Scholars generally agree that the First Mover speech is influenced by the philosophy of Boethius. However, the purpose of the speech is debated. Some believe it reflects Boethius’s ideas and Chaucer’s own views, showing a blend of Boethian and Christian thought. Others think the speech is a parody of Boethius’s Consolation of Philosophy, a tool to explain an idea to the characters, a way to move from tragedy to a happy ending, or a guide on how to die properly. Some also see it as a sign of Theseus’s disappointment in the events of the tournament and the divine order he describes.
Adaptations and derivations
In 1566, Richard Edwardes wrote a play called Palamon and Arcite, which was based on the story of Palamon and Arcite. However, the text of this play is no longer available. Another version of the story was performed in 1594, but this is only known from a mention in Philip Henslowe's diary. In 1613, William Shakespeare and John Fletcher wrote a play together titled The Two Noble Kinsmen, which is also based on the tale.
John Dryden translated the story into modern English in a book titled Palamon and Arcite. His version is longer than the original because he added extra details.
In 1975, Alan Plater created a TV series called Trinity Tales. This version changes the story into a competition between two young men who both want to win the attention of a barmaid.
The story inspired the 2001 movie A Knight's Tale. In this film, Geoffrey Chaucer is a main character. Another main character is William Thatcher, a poor servant who pretends to be a knight. He competes in tournaments, earns praise, and becomes friends with historical figures like Edward the Black Prince.
The story was also adapted for the BBC's The Canterbury Tales in 2003. In this version, the characters Palamon and Arcite are renamed Paul (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Ace (played by John Simm). The story is set in a modern prison, where the two men compete for the attention of a prison teacher named Emily (played by Keeley Hawes).