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The most noble pilgrim described in Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales ”. The Knight. “ " There was a K night , a most distinguished man …“ Geoffrey Chaucer. Presentation. Chaucer begins presenting the characters in The Canterbury Tales by describing the Knight .
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The mostnoblepilgrimdescribed in Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” The Knight “"Therewas a Knight, a mostdistinguished man …“ Geoffrey Chaucer
Presentation • Chaucerbeginspresenting the characters in The Canterbury Talesbydescribing the Knight. • The Knightis the onlymemberof the aristocracydescribedbychaucer at the beginningofhis narrative poem. • The knight's tale, composed in 1386, is the first tale of the poem, and isconsidered the first "novel" everwritten: in itChaucer's descriptionof the Knightis more realisticthan in otherswritten down in the nextcenturies.
Whowas a Knight • A medievalknighthadtorespect a lotofnoblevaluesthatformed the Code ofChivalry, examinedbyChaucer in the first versesof the tale. • the mostimportantvaluethat the knightmustrespectwas the loyaltytohis lord: in factsChaucer's Knighthadnevergiven up in battlesincehis first dayhehadfought. • Othervalues the Knighthadtorespectwere: honour, generosity, courtesy, prowess and freedom: they are properlylistedbychaucer in the firs part of the tale.
The Knightusuallyfoughtwithseveralweapons, but in the pilgrimageto Canterbury Cathedralneitherhenorhis son, hissquire, broughtanyweapon: theyrespectedanotherimportantvalue: the devotion. • Hewent in pilgrimagetothankGodforhishealth. • Hewasrich, buthedidn't wanttobeconsideredrichbyotherpilgrims, so hewasn't gailydressed. An unarmedknight (reconstruction)
Clothing and appearance • Chaucerdescribes the Knight's clothes: theyseemlessnoble, buttheywereveryhelpfulfor the protectionof the body. • Heworeanoldcoarsetunic, madeoffustian, composedbywool and cotton. Thistunicwas dark and hadalsostained, torn and smudgesparts. • Itwaslow-priced and itwasproduced in the flanders. • The Knightworealso a bismoteredgipoun, thatwas a tight-fittingjackethewore under the armour and itwaslaced on the back or the sides.
Itwassometimesdecoratedwithheraldicsymbols and itwasconsideredunchivalricbecauseitwasdirty, asdescrpitedbyChaucer. • The Knightwas "bismotered", becausehewasrich and noblebutherefused the nobleappearance. • The Knightworealsoanhabergeoun, a mail coatheusedtoprotecthischestfromviolentstrikes. Italsowasalwaysstained and dirty. An armedknight (reconstruction)
TipicKnight’s clothes FustianTunicGipounHabergeoun
About the Knight • Chaucercomposedthisdescription mixing disparate literaryelementsdesigning the characteras a shiningknight and, at the sametime, a verydevoutpilgrim. • The stains and the rustedarmourwantonlytohighlighthis social status and hisexploits. • Thisknight wanted toappearverymodest: in factshewore no sworebelt or otherarms and all the garmentspresented take anallegoricalrole, literaryelementfrequentlyusedby the autorsof the Middle Age.
Tiziano Guglielmi & Luigi Campolieti Thanksforattention