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The Knight's Tale

"The Knight's Tale" is the first tale from Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

The story is about two knights, Arcite and Palamon, who are imprisoned by Theseus, duke of Athens. In prison they see and fall in love with the sister of Hippolyta, Emily (Emelye). They variously get out of prison and end up in a tournament over Emily arranged by Theseus. Arcite wins, but dies before he can claim the prize (Emily) and Palamon marries her. It introduces many typical aspects of knighthood such as courtly love, ethical dilemmas, etc. The story is in the form of poetry.

The Two Noble Kinsmen, a play co-written by William Shakespeare and John Fletcher, is based on the tale.

The 2001 movie A Knight's Tale, starring Heath Ledger, is also very loosely based on the story, and a fictionalized Chaucer himself appears in it as a character.

Terry Jones's book Chaucer's Knight portrays the knight as a mercenary and far from a gallant, ethical, gentle character.

The Canterbury Tales

The Knight's Tale - The Miller's Tale - The Reeve's Tale - The Cook's Tale - The Man of Law's Tale - The Wife of Bath's Tale - The Friar's Tale - The Summoner's Tale - The Clerk's Tale - The Merchant's Tale - The Squire's Tale - The Franklin's Tale - The Physician's Tale - The Pardoner's Tale - The Shipman's Tale - The Prioress' Tale - Chaucer's Tale of Sir Topas - The Tale of Melibee - The Monk's Tale - Chanticleer and the Fox - The Second Nun's Tale - The Canon's Yeoman's Tale - The Manciple's Tale - The Parson's Tale - Chaucer's Retraction