Canterbury Tales Character Analysis: The Knight

"That greater there was not beneath the Sun."

This is one of the expository lines that Chaucer uses to tell us about the Knight. It's obvious that Chaucer likes the Knight, but why?

Well First of all I think that the Knight is humble. Chaucer tells us that the Knight came back home to a parade that everyone was at. The Knight was wondering why it was so chaotic, so he asks,"Do you so much envy my hounor that you must cry and complain?'' I think that the knight sees the people's reaction as a little overboard and Chaucer admires that about him.

Secondly, the Knight was a war hero. It tells us in the exposition of the knights tale that " many a rich country he had won." Which tells us that he conqured some stuff. But I think that Chaucer admires how genuine the Knight is. It talks about how the Knght's chain mail was rusty, like he had just gotten back from an expidition. Chaucer is kind of like Holden Caufield, he doesn't like any goddamn phonies. 

Chaucer also describes the knight as chivalrous, which is a pretty big deal back in those days. He also describes him as wise. But the biggest thing of all is the fact that Chaucer made the guy with all these qualities a knight. A knight who, usually, represents goodness and chivalry in literature,( the white knight) So I don't think that's a coincidence, that was intentional.

Direct Characterization-

Chaucer directly characterizes the knight, describing what he does and where he's been. I think that this is a sign of  adoration from Chaucer. It's like someone who's informing us of all the good things someone has done, if that makes sense. But here are a few examples.

" That was old time known as Scythia , there he wedded he the queen hippolyta."

''... and his Chivalry."

2) I think that Chaucer was giving the readers a contrasting character that one could compare with all the others. It's hard to know what good is when it's not clearly defined, and that's the purpose of the Knights tale.

"... his host of chivalry the Flower ( talking of the knight) ..."