The Knight’s Tale Essay Questions

1. “Women in Chaucer are idealized objects of desire.” Write an essay about the presentation of
women in the Knight’s Tale.
2. How is Theseus’ character presented in the tale?
3. Write about the presentation of the courtly love romance in the Knight’s Tale.
4. How is order presented in Theseus’ character?
5. Describe Theseus’ involvement in the fortunes of others?
6. Analyze how disorder is conveyed in Arcite and Palamon’s characters.
7. Explain the aspects associated with the medieval code of chivalry.
8. Discuss the theme of friendship in its various forms as depicted in this tale.
9. Explain what the “code of courtly love” involves and illustrate your explanation with examples
from the text.
How is Theseus’ character presented in the tale?

FIRST POINT

Theseus represents rule and order in the Knight’s Tale.

- Order is depicted as a recurring motif in the poem.
- Theseus is considered as a person of high hierarchy, giving him the highest position in the feudal
system, which is the nobility.
- Several times, Theseus tries to maintain chaos by restoring order.
o He makes war with the Amazons as part of his duty.
o Theseus battles the tyrant Creon in order to avenge the death of the Theban women’s
husbands.
o He intervenes in Arcite and Palamon’s battle in the grove and asks them to fight by
bringing a hundred knights in order to settle their affection towards Emelye.
- In the Middle Ages, ever since the establishment of the feudal system, the definition of nobility
solely depends on the royal lineage a person as well as their position in the feudal system. Thus,
it is impossible for a peasant to become a knight, despite how deservingly noble they are.
-
SECOND POINT

He represents the ideal nobility of a knight.

THIRD POINT

He is an agent of Fortune.
Write about the presentation of the courtly love romance in the Knight’s Tale.

FIRST POINT

It is primarily portrayed in Arcite and Palamon’s characters.

- Palamon, upon sight of Emelye, ‘He bleynte and cride, “A!”’.

o This is to establish a sense of pain and woe as felt by Palamon.
 Alludes to the four humors of the body and in this case, melancholic.
o Therefore, courtly love is in a way, depicted in relation to lovesickness.
- The conflict established when readers are first introduced to Palamon and Arcite fully conscious
are mainly caused by their incessant claiming towards Emelye’s love, someone who barely has
full acknowledgement of their existance.
- This conflict is further developed when they meet again in the grove, and this further extends to
a physical battle between the two men.
o This battle is describe fervishly by Chaucer by mainly using hyperboles so as to satirize
the ridiculousness of such a fight.

SECOND POINT

It is conveyed through several uses of religious/pagan connotations.

- More often than not, Venus is often alluded when Chaucer is setting a scene which vividly
portrays the courtly love romance.
o ‘Venus if it be thy wil,/ yow in the gardyn thus to transfigure … out of this prisoun help that
we may scapen.’
o In Greek mythology, Venus is the goddess of love and Chaucer’s repetition of the imagery of
this goddess is to conve

THIRD POINT

It is depicted in the use of lamentations.