The decision to have the Knight serve as the first narrator in the collection has significant importance. This reflects the author s intentions to establish themes of chivalry, honor, and social hierarchy while creating a specific scenario for the tales that follow.

Firstly, the Knight’s position as the initial narrator aligns with his stereotyped role in medieval society. In the feudal system of Chaucer’s time, knights took their job as warriors and protectors of the realm very seriously. By presenting the Knight as the first storyteller, Chaucer immediately establishes a sense of authority and respectability, signaling to readers that the tales to come will be told from the perspective of a noble and virtuous character.

Furthermore, the Knight portrays the ideals of chivalry and courtly love, which were central concepts in medieval literature and culture. Chaucer’s decision to begin with the Knight’s tale creates an environment of nobility and romance, the themes of bravery, loyalty, and devotion that characterize chivalric literature. Through the Knight’s narrative, we are introduced to the conventions of courtly love and the code of honor of knights during this period.

The knight is the beginning of everything. In the first prologue, the first line starts with the phrase: “When in April, the sweet showers fall And pierce the drought of March to the root…” and the paragraph ends by saying “In England, down to Canterbury they wend To seek the holy blissful martyr”.

I find this as a metaphor because April is when the cycle begins all over again, the trees blooming, flowers growing, everything is warm, a long journey awaits. It is no coincidence that the first tale is one of the knights. Furthermore, in the prologue, we can also read the lines:

 “And as a Knight, I therefore will begin.

There was a Knight, a most distinguished man, Who from the day on which he began

To ride abroad had followed chivalry,

Truth, honor, generous thought and courtesy,”

And the narrator proceeds to speak about the great honor of such knight, who was a great warrior and had no fear to go against his enemies, he was a perfect gentle knight.

The central plot of the tale is about the love triangle between Palamon, Arcite, and Emily. This love triangle epitomizes the concept of courtly love. The characters’ romantic feelings for Emily are expressed with idealization, reflecting the conventions of courtly love because women were always beautiful and delicate in these types of tales. As in the following quotation, nobility women pursued by knights were delicate, sweet and had plenty of virtues which made them the object of desire of many men:

“She wandered gathering flowers, white and red,

To make a subtle garland for her head,

And, like an angel, sang a heavenly song.”

The actions of Palamon and Arcite in their struggle for Emily’s love are generated by a sense of honor. Despite their rivalry, they respect each other as fellow knights. Even when they go through physical combats, there is a code of honor that will not allow them, as the gentle knights they are, to go against their values and beliefs. Even if it s for the woman they love. Furthermore, Theseus, as a noble and honorable ruler, upholds the principles of justice and fairness in his decisions and actions throughout the tale. We can see an example of this while both men are speaking while incarcerated:

“You are my trusted friend, as none can doubt

Yet, you would treacherously go about

To love my lady, whom I love and serve

And ever shall, until death cuts my heart’s nerve.

Honor was a fundamental concept for knights, they were expected to fulfill their honor through their speech and actions, showing courage in battle but also in their emotions and behavior. Their love for Emily, even if it led them to this unfortunate situation, is handled with a sense of duty and honor, as illustrated in the following lines:

I loved her first (O grief!) and told you so

As to the brother and the friend who swore

To further me, as I have said before,

So you are bound in honor as a knight”

The love they had for her was based on admiration and devotion, and the characters suffered from love, where they were both willing to accept trials and battles to win her heart. Additionally, Theseus, as a noble ruler and knight, follows the principles of justice and fairness in his actions, reflecting his mindset to honor to the chivalric code.

All these ideas of love, chivalry, and honor are portrayed in this tale to contextualize medieval society. These themes add drama and complexity to the story, highlighting the moral dilemmas and the considerations all these characters had to face as they dive into challenges like love, loyalty, and duty.