Canterbury Tales Competition Quotes

And therto hadde he riden, no man ferre,
As wel in cristendom as in hethenesse,
And evere honoured for his worthynesse;
At Alisaundre he was whan it was wonne.
Ful ofte tyme he hadde the bord bigonne
Aboven alle nacions in Pruce;
In Lettow hadde he reysed and in Ruce,
No Cristen man so ofte of his degree.
In Gernade at the seege eek hadde he be
Of Algezir, and riden in Belmarye.
At Lyeys was he and at Satalye,
Whan they were wonne, and in the Grete See
At many a noble armee hadde he be.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue. The Knight has a very impressive military career. He fought in the Crusades, religious wars between Christians and Muslims launched to secure control of holy sites sacred to both sides. He battled in Egypt, Russia, Lithuania, Spain, Morocco and Turkey. He saw many times in the place of honor.

At mortal batailles hadde he been fiftene,
And foughten for oure feith at Tramyssene
In lystes thries, and ay slayn his foo.
This ilke worthy knyght hadde been also
Somtyme with the lord of Palatye
Agayn another hethen in Turkye;
And everemoore he hadde a sovereyn prys.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue. The Knight has a very distinguished and impressive military career. He built up an outstanding reputation, taking part in fifteen battles, fighting for England’s religious faith and against the heathen and slaying many foes. He also fought three times in duels, always kiling his foe.

In al the parisshe wif ne was ther noon
That to the offrynge bifore hire sholde goon;
And if ther dide, certeyn so wrooth was she
That she was out of alle charitee.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue. The Wife of Bath views herself as the most important woman in her parish church. So much so that no other woman dares to go to the altar steps in front of her. If by chance they did, they would incur her wrath and she would forget God’s commandment in their case, "Love thy neighbor."

And which of yow that bereth hym best of alle –
That is to seyn, that telleth in this caas
Tales of best sentence and moost solaas –
Shal have a soper at oure aller cost
Heere in this place, sittynge by this post,
Whan that we come agayn fro Caunterbury.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue. The Host comes up with a competition for the pilgrims on their way to Canterbury. Each is to tell two tales on the way and two on the journey back home. The winner will receive a supper at the cost of them all in the Host’s inn when they come back from Canterbury.

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.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. At the beginning of his tale the Knight introduces us to his most powerful character, Theseus, the duke and leader of Athens. He has conquered many rich countries and we are told there is no one greater under the sun.

He conquered al the regne of Femenye,
That whilom was ycleped Scithia,
And weddede the queene Ypolita,
And broghte hire hoom with hym in his contree
With muchel glorie and greet solempnytee,
And eek hir yonge suster Emelye.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. After defeating the Amazons, Theseus takes their queen Hippolyta as his "prize" and marries her. He returns to Athens with Hippolyta and her young sister Emily amid much glory and great ceremony. This foreshadows how Emily will equally become the prize in a deadly battle for her hand between Palamon and Arcite.

And certes, if it nere to long to heere,
I wolde have toold yow fully the manere
How wonnen was the regne of Femenye
By Theseus and by his chivalrye;
And of the grete bataille for the nones
Bitwixen Atthenes and Amazones;
And how asseged was Ypolita,
The faire, hardy queene of Scithia.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. In the great battle between male-dominated Athens and the mythical Amazonian women, Athens wins the day under their leader Theseus, who besieged their strong queen Hippolyta and defeated her forces.

But shortly for to speken of this thyng,
With Creon, which that was of Thebes kyng,
He faught, and slough hym manly as a knyght
In pleyn bataille, and putte the folk to flyght;
And by assaut he wan the citee after,
And rente adoun bothe wall and sparre and rafter.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. As good as his word, Theseus fulfils his promise to the widows of the men killed by the Theban king Creon. He slays the king in battle, puts his army to flight, tears down the walls of Thebes and wins the city.

For May wole have no slagardie anyght.
The sesoun priketh every gentil herte,
And maketh it out of his slep to sterte.
And seith "Arys, and do thyn observaunce."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. The young and beautiful Emily rises early one morning in May. The Knight says it is the season that bids every gentle heart to awaken and rise with the sun, which Emily does and sings to herself and picks flowers to make a garland for her hair. The imprisoned cousins Palamon and Arcite are about to catch sight of her and fall in love with the young sister of Theseus’s wife.

And with that word Arcite gan espye
Wher as this lady romed to and fro,
And with that sighte hir beautee hurte hym so,
That, if that Palamon was wounded sore,
Arcite is hurt as muche as he, or moore.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Arcite and Palamon aren’t just soldiers-in-arms and cousins, but they have similar tastes in women too. Like Palamon was, Arcite’s is hit with a bad case of love at first sight as he watches the beautiful Emily in the garden. And it hurts him just as much, and even more than Palamon – the competition between the pair has started already.

"It nere," quod he, "to thee no greet honour
For to be fals, ne for to be traitour
To me, that am thy cosyn and thy brother
Ysworn ful depe, and ech of us til oother,
That nevere, for to dyen in the peyne,
Til that the deeth departe shal us tweyne,
Neither of us in love to hyndre oother,
Ne in noon oother cas, my leeve brother,
But that thou sholdest trewely forthren me
In every cas, as I shal forthren thee –
This was thyn ooth, and myn also, certeyn.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Palamon is not happy that Arcite has declared his love for the same woman, Emily. He claims that he and Arcite are sworn brothers, who took an oath to never hinder one other in love or in any other case. It would be no great honor for his cousin and brother to be false and a traitor, Palamon warns his friend and love rival.

And now thow woldest falsly been aboute
To love my lady, whom I love and serve,
And evere shal til that myn herte sterve.
And ever shall until my heart dies.
Nay, certes, false Arcite, thow shalt nat so.
I loved hire first, and tolde thee my wo
As to my conseil and my brother sworn.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Palamon tells Arcite that he has first claim on Emily, simply because he loved her first and told his sworn brother and confidant Arcite "my wo." He accuses Arcite of falsely preparing to love his lady, whom he is pledged to love and serve until his heart dies. He warns Arcite that he will not do so, foreshadowing the bloody feud that later happens between the two.

"Thow shalt," quod he, "be rather fals than I;
And thou art fals, I telle thee outrely,
For paramour I loved hire first er thow.
What wiltow seyen? Thou woost nat yet now
Wheither she be a womman or goddesse!
Thyn is affeccioun of hoolynesse,
And myn is love as to a creature.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Arcite disputes Palamon claim that he loved Emily first. He says Palamon’s affection for Emily is as to a goddess, it is a feeling of holiness and spirituality. Arcite is adament that he loved her first as a mistress, his love "is love as to a creature" not a goddess. He says Palamon is the false one in their sworn brotherhood.

Wostow nat wel the olde clerkes sawe,
That "who shal yeve a lovere any lawe?"
Love is a gretter lawe, by my pan,
Than may be yeve to any erthely man;
And therfore positif lawe and swich decree
Is broken al day for love in ech degree.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Ancite responds to Palamon’s claim that Ancite will be breaking their oath of brotherhood if he continues to love Emily. Who would give a lover any law, Ancite asks, adding that love is a greater law than any earthy one. Man-made laws are broken every day for love, he points out. As the rivaly between the two knights progresses, they begin failing to live up to their code of chivalry and become governed more by the laws of love.

"O deere cosyn Palamon," quod he,
"Thyn is the victorie of this aventure.
Ful blisfully in prison maistow dure –
In prison? Certes nay, but in paradys!"

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. While Arcite wins his freedom and his cousin Palamon remains in prison, Arcite says Palamon is the victor in this adventure. For Palamon has sight of Emily, the woman they both love, and Arcite does not. In an example of dramatic irony Arcite says he envies Palamon’s prison "paradise."

Wel hath Fortune yturned thee the dys,
That hast the sighte of hire, and I th’absence.
For possible is, syn thou hast hire presence,
And art a knyght, a worthy and an able,
That by som cas, syn Fortune is chaungeable,
Thow maist to thy desir somtyme atteyne.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. The newly released prisoner Arcite says that Fortune has turned the dice for Palamon. For his love rival is able to see Emily from his tower cell every day, and Arcite is not. And an able and worthy knight such as Palamon may sometime attain her desire.

Arcite, false traytour wikke,
Now artow hent, that lovest my lady so,
For whom that I have al this peyne and wo,
And art my blood, and to my conseil sworn,
As I ful ofte have told thee heerbiforn,
And hast byjaped heere duc Theseus,
And falsly chaunged hast thy name thus!

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Palamon says that his sworn friend and confidante Arcite is a traitor. Palamon feels he saw Emily first and has the rightful claim to her love. He accuses Arcite "that lovest my lady" of betraying him. He also says he broke Theseus’s condition of his release that he stay away from Athens and deceived everyone by changing his name and appearance.

But for as muche thou art a worthy knyght
And wilnest to darreyne hire by bataille,
Have heer my trouthe; tomorwe I wol nat faille,
Withoute wityng of any oother wight,
That heere I wol be founden as a knyght,
And bryngen harneys right ynough for thee;
And ches the beste, and leef the worste for me.
And mete and drynke this nyght wol I brynge
Ynough for thee, and clothes for thy beddynge.
And if so be that thou my lady wynne,
And sle me in this wode ther I am inne,
Thow mayst wel have thy lady as for me.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Arcite challenges old friend and love rival Palamon to a duel to the death the next day, the survivor and winner getting Emily as the prize. In keeping with the code of chivalry, Arcite offers to bring armor, and Palamon can choose the best, and also bring food, drink and bedding so that his rival can have sound night’s sleep before the battle.

Namoore, up peyne of lesynge of youre heed!
By myghty Mars, he shal anon be deed
That smyteth any strook that I may seen.
But telleth me what myster men ye been,
That been so hardy for to fighten heere
Withouten juge or oother officere,
As it were in a lystes roially.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Theseus comes on the scene of the bloody fight between Palamon and Arcite and objects to it because it is not properly conducted and supervised and there us no judge. He commands them to stop, on penalty of losing their heads.

He hath considered shortly, in a clause,
The trespas of hem bothe, and eek the cause,
And although that his ire hir gilt accused,
Yet in his resoun he hem bothe excused,
As thus: he thoghte wel that every man
Wol helpe hymself in love, if that he kan,
And eek delivere hymself out of prisoun.
And eek his herte hadde compassioun
Of wommen, for they wepen evere in oon.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Theseus attempts to balance the needs for justice and mercy, after he discovers Palamon and Arcite feuding over Emily. Though he is angry at their trespass, he understands that every man will help himself in love, and he also has compassion for the women. So he decides not to execute the knights and excuses them.
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