The Knight's Tale Parallels, Contradictions… and Thirds Summary

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The Knight’s Tale Parallels, Contradictions… and Thirds Summary: King Theseus come in triumphant with his newly conquered wife, ….A group of women complain about the dishonorable way their husbands bodies are treated and beg Theseus to help…Theseus does and locks up two young knights Arcite and Palamon….These young knights both fall in love with the queen’s sister Emile and these once friends are enemies… Arcite is released but disguises himself as a servant to work for Theseus. Palamon escapes from prison. Remarkably the two knights run into each other and fight over Emily…Theseus finds them and wants to kill them but the women ask for mercy… He grants it and in one year the knights are to come back with a thousand Knights and they will have a contest…they do (before this Emily, Arcite, and Palamon all pray to a god – Diane, Mars, and Venus and both men are promised what they ask)…Arcite wins but falls off his horse and dies….Palamon is awarded the girl even though he technically lost the game. An Introduction to the Canterbury Tales: Reading, Fiction, Context pg. 47-53 Main Questions: Emotion as Bondage? o Why is Love painful? In the story… . It brings conflict between the Knights . Arcite’s first reaction to Seeing Emile is like being wounded Is mortal life glamorous or hopeless? Do we have free will or any power over what happens to us? Is there loving order behind the universe? Main themes: Order and Sadness Harmony linked with male domination Marriage linked with conquest o Theseus and Hippolyta o the Fight for Emily Opposites: Tyranny and Harmony and Suffering Man and Woman Kingship Thebes and Athens Youth and Maturity Love and War Venus and Mars Parallels: Two brothers Both captured Fall in love the same day Same woman Both a champion in battle Both win in the end (but in different ways) Third Force: Diane – alongside Venus and Mars Theseus – overruling Palamon and Arcite Time – alongside Love and Conflict .

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Chaucer's Knight's Tale : a Symbolic Reading Naomi Pasquine
University of Richmond UR Scholarship Repository Master's Theses Student Research 5-1972 Chaucer's Knight's tale : a symbolic reading Naomi Pasquine Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.richmond.edu/masters-theses Part of the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Pasquine, Naomi, "Chaucer's Knight's tale : a symbolic reading" (1972). Master's Theses. Paper 889. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Research at UR Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of UR Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CHAUCER'S KNIGHT'S TALE: A SYMBOUC READING BY NAOMI PAS QUI NE A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN ENGUSH MAY 1973 Approved for the Department of English and the Graduate School by ' Reader TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPI'ER I Prologue: Approaching the Knight's .'!!!!Through Symbolism • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1 II Theseus: A God-Symbol ••••••••••••••• 8 III Emelye: A Dantean Lady • • • • • • • • • • • • • .23 IV Palamon and Arcite: Symbols for the Outer and Inner Man • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ••. 35 V "Pars Tercia" of the Knight's 1!1! as a Symbol for Inner Conflict • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 44 VI Conclusions • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 52 BIBUOGRAPHY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ••• • • 0 •• •• 55 VITA CHAPTER I Prologue: Approaching the Knight's Tale Through Symbolism Chaucer's Knight's~ has called forth much critical comment. Individual lines have been commented upon, characters have been analysed, and the resolution of the poem has been discussed. Critics have offered suggestions as to the poem's meaning, but an interpretation that encompasses all aspects of the poem and gives the reader the feeling that all the poetic elements of the poem have been resolved into that interpretation has not been presented.
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