Summary:
“The Knight’s Tale” is the first story in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. It is a romance that explores themes of love, fate, chivalry, and honor. The tale follows two Theban knights, Palamon and Arcite, who are imprisoned by Theseus, the Duke of Athens. While in prison, both knights fall in love with Emelye, the sister of Theseus’s wife. Eventually, Arcite is freed but must leave Athens, while Palamon remains in prison. Arcite later returns in disguise, and both knights engage in a fierce rivalry for Emelye’s love. Theseus arranges a grand tournament between the two, with the winner earning Emelye’s hand in marriage. Arcite wins the tournament but is mortally wounded and dies, leaving Palamon to marry Emelye in the end.
The story reflects medieval ideals of courtly love and chivalry while questioning the role of fate and divine intervention in human affairs.
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| Question | Answer |
| Tale Name | The Knight’s Tale |
| Author | Geoffrey Chaucer |
| Part of | The Canterbury Tales |
| Genre | Chivalric Romance, Courtly Love |
| Setting | Ancient Greece (Thebes & Athens) |
| Main Characters | Palamon, Arcite, Emelye, Theseus |
| Major Themes | Fate, Love, Chivalry, Honor |
| Conflict | Two knights competing for love |
| Resolution | Arcite dies, and Palamon marries Emelye |
| Moral Lesson | Fate is beyond human control, and true love endures hardships |
| Significance | One of the most famous medieval chivalric romances |