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Characters and Plot of A Knight's Tale

The document summarizes the characters, setting, and plot of Geoffrey Chaucer's "A Knight's Tale". The main characters are Palamon and Arcite, two imprisoned knights who both fall in love with Emelye. They compete for her hand in a tournament organized by Duke Theseus of Athens. Though Arcite wins the tournament, he dies from injuries sustained in his victory. In the end, Palamon marries Emelye as Theseus intended.

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Relyn Luriban Perucho-Martinez
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1K views11 pages

Characters and Plot of A Knight's Tale

The document summarizes the characters, setting, and plot of Geoffrey Chaucer's "A Knight's Tale". The main characters are Palamon and Arcite, two imprisoned knights who both fall in love with Emelye. They compete for her hand in a tournament organized by Duke Theseus of Athens. Though Arcite wins the tournament, he dies from injuries sustained in his victory. In the end, Palamon marries Emelye as Theseus intended.

Uploaded by

Relyn Luriban Perucho-Martinez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • A Knight's Tale Overview
  • Characters
  • Setting
  • Plot
  • Genre
  • Theme

A Knight’s Tale

-Geoffrey Chaucer
CHARACTERS

 Theseus - A great conqueror and the duke of Athens in the


Knight’s Tale. The most powerful ruler in the story, he is often
called upon to make the final judgment, but he listens to
others’ pleas for help.

 Palamon - Palamon is one of the two imprisoned Theban


soldier heroes in the Knight’s Tale. Brave, strong, and sworn to
everlasting friendship with his cousin Arcite, Palamon falls in
love with the fair maiden Emelye, which brings him into
conflict with Arcite. Though he loses the tournament against
Arcite, he gets Emelye in the end.
 Arcite - The sworn brother to Palamon, Arcite, imprisoned with Palamon in
the tower in the Knight’s Tale, falls equally head over heels in love with
Emelye. He gets released from the tower early and wins Emelye’s hand in
a tournament, but then dies when a divinely fated earthquake causes his
horse to throw him.

 Emelye - Emelye is the sister to Hippolyta, Theseus’s domesticated


Amazon queen in the Knight’s Tale. Fair-haired and glowing, we first see
Emelye as Palamon does, through a window. Although she is the object
of both Palamon’s and Arcite’s desire, she would rather spend her life
unmarried and childless. Nevertheless, when Arcite wins the tournament,
she readily pledges herself to him.

 Egeus - Theseus’s father. Egeus gives Theseus the advice that helps him
convince Palamon and Emelye to end their mourning of Arcite and get
married.
SETTING

 Athens
 Theban
PLOT

Initial Situation

In a battle with Thebes, Theseus, lord of


Athens, captures two sworn-brother knights,
Palamon and Arcite. He imprisons them in a
tower near his garden, where his sister-in-law
Emily decides to walk one May day.
Conflict
 Palamon and Arcite both fall in love with Emily.
Oh, and they happen to have sworn an oath to
support one another in everything.

Complication
 Chancing upon Arcite and Palamon fighting a
duel, Theseus decrees that the two must fight a
joust in order to decide who gets Emily.
Climax
Palamon and Arcite's teams of knights
begin their joust.

Denouement
Arcite's forces capture Palamon,
ending the joust in Arcite's favor. During
his victory ride, though, Arcite tumbles
from his horse and gets hurt really
badly.
Conclusion

Arcite dies. Theseus asks Palamon


to marry Emily, which he happily
does.
GENRE
Adventure
Romance
Historical Fiction
Theme
Love
Death
Fridenship
Suffering
Faith
Free will
Competition
Strength and skill

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