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 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),