The Knight’s Tale:

This tale is told by the Knight and starts out featuring the character Theseus who is duke/ lord and governor of Athens who is said that through wisdom and chivalry he gained an in on femininity. He wedded Hippolyta from Scythia and brought also her sister Emily.

While Theseus was riding to his home, after a great victory, he came across women dressed in black that cried out in woe on the side of the road. The oldest told him that they were once duchesses and queens but are now captives to grief. They lost their husbands in Thebes; the lord of Thebes piled their husband’s bodies among the other town dead and refused to give them proper burial. He instead has his dogs devour the bodies. Moved to pity, Theseus swears to bring the lord of Thebes, now called Creon to justice. He changed course to ride to Thebes and rode in, banners blazing, and defeated the king. He then returned the bones of the women’s husbands to them so they could finally lay them to rest. He found two knights, Palamon and Arcita, of Theban royal blood among the dead in the war field and sent them to prison in Athens, sentenced to jail until they rot and died. The tale then jumps to Emily who is described as more beautiful than a flower with a voice from heaven. This part of the tale takes place in the month of May. Palamon, by leave of his gaoler, or guard, was out for a stroll in the chamber where the prison was. When he looked through the window, he saw Emily down in the garden and was taken by love at first sight. He then prayed to Venus to show him pity so that he may be with Emily. Intrigued, Arcita goes to see this woman through the window and is smitten as well, claiming that if he cannot see her each day he is dead. The men begin to fight saying that each, in turn, loved her first and was there for entitled to her. After some bickering, Arcita says what’s the use since they are both doomed to rot in jail.

To be continued…