The Heroic and Honorable Knight in "The Canterbury Tales" Essay

Two of the main themes I see throughout medieval literature is characteristics of a noble quest and chivalric code and knightly behavior. Repeatedly you are reminded that a knight is to be chivalrous and loyal, while also reminding you of what makes his quest a noble and important one. Characteristics of a noble quest is constantly shown throughout the film and throughout medieval literature. In the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, King Arthur continually shows us that he is meant to be a noble knight and will do anything to remain so. He doesn’t fall into temptation and never stops going after what God has sent him to do.

Knights were essential for providing security and a sense of safety during the Middle Ages. Knights took a rigorous training process to learn every aspect of medieval warfare and to acquire skills needed for knighthood. After training was complete, the knights would have to abide by the Code of Chivalry which they learned about during their training. An ordinary Knight’s life involved forty days of service a year to their lord, as well as frequent practice to hone their skills. Although knights were skillful and brave in battle, as Europe crawled out of the Middle Ages, their services were no longer needed.

In the late 14th century that is represented in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, the most perceived element of a true gentleman was conceivably chivalry. This element is demonstrated in two of the many characters in the story, the Knight and the Squire. The Knight and the Squire are father and son who are both members of the aristocrat class; both ride honorably on their horses and have the aura of a true gentleman, but despite their similarities, they are different. Though the Knight and the Squire share the same profession and are both members of the same aristocratic class, they differ in the fact that the Knight portrays the ideal society while the Squire displays the reality of society.

Knights were required to be loyal, to have honor, to be courteous, to be modest, to be brave and to have faith. These traits are for any noble knight and are required to be followed strictly. Many knights do not follow these traits as in Beowulf; the knights were very cowardly and not brave. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain is very brave, not cowardly. While some knights do not follow the Chivalric codes, the great ones do.

Though the Knight and the Squire are from the same feudal class and vocation, they differ in the fact that the Knight represents how society should have been; and the Squire depicts an accurate portrayal of

In the medieval time, knight was a really essential part of the society, because they protected people and prosperities for them. They are respected, and have good behavior. In order to keep the good reputation, people came up with the code of chivalry which lists all the qualities that a knight should have. The movie, First Knight is about a man named Lancelot who is good with sword. He saves the life of King Arthur’s wife, Guinevere, and his behavior captures King Arthur’s attention. Then, he is invited to join the knights of the round table of King Arthur. He goes to a public trial because he has an affair with Guinevere, but then Camelot got invaded. Lancelot killed Malagant, and saves the day. In this movie, Lancelot is a great

This also brings with it the idea of being willing to give one’s life for another’s; whether he would be giving his life for a poor man or his lord. Under a better name, it is warrior chivalry. This is thought to be the most achieved duty of chivalry. A knight is not always portrayed as lady killer, but more popularly as a noble warrior. Were knights really as noble as they seemed? The logical of a human really doesn’t allow that to happen. Why would someone want to risk their own life for lives of others? The human mind doesn’t function like that. Knights still fight however, but this is based purely on the fact that there is no way around it. If a knight chose not to fight, treason was the only price. Knights did not have a willing attitude. To appeal to the human mind, why would one desire to throw his body out to a sure death? A man in his sane mind would not do so. This is clearly reflected in the medieval narrative Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The example begins with the knights of the round table all meeting in their hall during evening festivities. A mysterious green knight enters the hall and possesses a challenge. The challenge is that one knight of Arthur’s gets a unresponsive attack at the neck of this giant green knight with his own axe. The only loophole is that in one year and a day

In Geoffrey Chaucer’s poem, The Knight’s Tale, the author encapsulates chivalrous characteristics in his telling of a battle for love. In its fundamental form, chivalry idealizes a knight’s conduct, both on and off the battlefield (Gregory-Abbott). Chaucer employs this “heroic code [of] bravery, loyalty, and service to one's lord” to illustrate the idillic knight throughout the narrative (Rossignol). Chaucer’s poem, The Knight’s Tale, exhibits the ideals of chivalry in the form of two knights, desperately in love with the same woman, and a wise Duke who embodies the voice of reason. Each knight upholds honor through compassion, troths, and heroism on the battlefield, despite their afflictions with each other.

The knight seemed thoughtless when committing his crime. “By very force [the knight] took [a woman's] maidenhead” (Chaucer 79). From this readers can interpret that this knight isn't like others. When one thinks of a knight,

The Knight is like King Arthur, he is ment to be a brave and noble warrior and is ment to inspire people. King Arthur was the greatest warrior of his story and was a person that inspird all of the people around him and that seems to be the vibe you get when the narrator tells the knights story. There are slso some diffrenses though, like the fact that King Arthur is a king, a leader and the knight is just a warrior. King Arthur was also a mush bigger figure in his time then the Knight because you do not even learn the kights name in the

When one speaks of the knights of old, one must always speak of the Chivalric Code, that law by which all knights, at least those spoken of in legend and Arthurian myth, abided. First spoken of in The Song of Roland, the Chivalric Code details a specific set of guidelines and regulations that knights had to maintain in order to keep the peace throughout the realm in which they abided. In lines 1098-1100 of the Song, the Chivalric code has become the basis by which the stereotypical knight has been molded from and is constantly tested by it. There is no one real way to define a knight, but a collection of narratives such as the Song and The Book of the Order of Chivalry by Ramon Llul, presents a very clear picture what a knight be not only

of the poor outfit of the Knight. Instead he attempts to point out that the

For three specific reasons the Knight in Chaucer’s Prologue can be considered a perfect person. He has a lot of generousness. In the prologue it says that the knight is the “most distinguished man”. The knight is the first to go out and fight for his people. Nexly he is a honorable person. The prologue says “ and ever honored for his noble graces.” He always tells the truth and he has a lot of wisdom. He has been in many mortal battles because he is wise and he knows how to fight the battle and win. A knight has all these qualities and many more that shows he is the type of person that wears his heart on his

Chaucer satirizes knights and chivalry in two different ways: in the prologue and in the Knight's Tale. The first way in the prologue is with the pilgrim Knight's character. Chaucer wanted to present a realistic knight, but he also wanted to give the Knight some very

In the 12th to 17th century, a knight was a professional soldier that fought in an army for his or her king. The knight was usually a man but in rare cases there were also female knights. Even though knights are now nearly non-existent, their code of chivalry still influences modern codes of conduct.