The Knight Character Analysis in The Canterbury Tales

The Knight is a noble man who fights for truth and for Christ rather than for his own glory or wealth. He has traveled throughout many heathen lands victoriously. The Knight is one of the few characters whom Chaucer praises wholeheartedly: he is a genuine example of the highest order of chivalry.

The Knight Quotes in The Canterbury Tales

The The Canterbury Tales quotes below are all either spoken by The Knight or refer to The Knight. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

He was a verray, parfit gentil knyght.

Related Characters: (speaker),

Whilom, as olde stories tellen us,
Ther was a duc that highte Theseus;
Of Atthenes he was lord and governour,
And in his tyme swich a conquerour
That gretter was there noon under the sonne.
Ful many a rich contree hadde he wonne;
What with his wysdom and his chilvalrie.

Related Characters: (speaker),

He cast his eye upon Emelya,
And therwithal he bleynte and cride, “A!”

Related Characters: (speaker), ,

Wommen desiren to have sovereynetee
As wel as over hir housbond as hir love
And for to been in maistrie hym above.

Related Characters: (speaker),

“Now,” quod oure Hoost, “I wol no lenger pleye
With thee, ne with noon oother angry man.”
But right anon the worthy Knyght bigan,
Whan that he saugh that al the peple lough,
“Namoore of this, for it is right ynough!”

Related Characters: (speaker), (speaker),

The Knight Character Timeline in The Canterbury Tales

The timeline below shows where the character The Knight appears in The Canterbury Tales. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Courtly Love and Sexual Desire Theme Icon

The narrator begins by describing the Knight, a noble man who loves chivalry and fights for truth and honor. The knight has... (full context)

In addition to being worthy and brave, says the narrator, the Knight is modest and meek as a maid. He never speaks ill of anyone. He wears... (full context)

The narrator next describes the Knight’s son, a Squire, who is a lively and lusty young knight in training. The Squire... (full context)

The only servant the Knight has with him is the Yeoman, who wears a green hood and coat. The Yeoman... (full context)

If the story were not so long, says the Knight, I would tell you all about how Theseus defeated the Amazons, and what a great... (full context)

...go to Thebes and gather his army so that he might win Emelye’s hand. The Knight poses the rhetorical question of whether Palamon or Arcite is worse off. (full context)

...long funeral procession. While claiming that he not going to describe the whole scene, the Knight launches into a very detailed description of Arcite’s funeral pyre, describing all the types of... (full context)

All the pilgrims agree that the Knight has told an excellent, noble story. The Host turns to the Monk for the next... (full context)

...the man “moost envoluped in synne,” and the Host reacts violently to the suggestion. The Knight must step in to resolve the conflict, telling the Host and the Pardoner to kiss... (full context)

After the depressing Monk’s Tale, the Knight begs that no more tragedies be told, saying that they need some pleasure to set... (full context)