Chaucer's Knight, a character sketch. From "Canterbury Tales"

Essay by AdairElementary School, 1st gradeA+, October 1996

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The Canterbury Tales

A Character Sketch of Chaucer's Knight

Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, written in approximately

1385, is a collection of twenty-four stories ostensibly told by various

people who are going on a religious pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral from

London, England. Prior to the actual tales, however, Chaucer offers the

reader a glimpse of fourteenth century life by way of what he refers to as

a General Prologue. In this prologue, Chaucer introduces all of the

characters who are involved in this imaginary journey and who will tell the

tales. Among the characters included in this introductory section is a

knight. Chaucer initially refers to the knight as 'a most distinguished

man' (l. 43) and, indeed, his sketch of the knight is highly complimentary.

The knight, Chaucer tells us, 'possessed/Fine horses, but he

was not gaily dressed' (ll. 69-70). Indeed, the knight is dressed in a

common shirt which is stained 'where his armor had left mark' (l.

72).

That is, the knight is 'just home from service' (l. 73) and is in such a

hurry to go on his pilgrimage that he has not even paused before beginning

it to change his clothes.

The knight has had a very busy life as his fighting career has

taken him to a great many places. He has seen military service in Egypt,

Lithuania, Prussia, Russia, Spain, North Africa, and Asia Minor where he

'was of [great] value in all eyes (l. 63). Even though he has had a very

successful and busy career, he is extremely humble: Chaucer maintains that

he is 'modest as a maid' (l. 65). Moreover, he has never said a rude thing

to anyone in his entire life (cf., ll. 66-7).

Clearly, the knight possesses an outstanding character.

Chaucer gives to the knight one of the...