Chaucer presents chivalry as an expression of perfection in character, inspired by the desire to please divine authority. According to Hall, a Knight’s duty in the medieval time was to the King, with the King seen as God’s intermediary (Hall, 16). The author presents chivalry in a militant fashion, probably as a reaction to the prevailing circumstance of chaos that needed a militant hand to defeat the heathens. Chaucer, therefore, presents the Knights as noble images of perfection with chivalry as a mainstay in their duty to man and God, even though it does not bear success in all areas.
One aspect of chivalry portrayed in The Knight’s Tale is brotherhood. Arcite and Alamon act as a representation of this brotherhood by wearing the same artifacts. The two also took a brotherhood oath as seen in the contents of the covenant: “that am thy cosyn and thy brother7/Ysworn ful depe, and ech of us til oother, / That nevere, for to dyen in the peyne” (1145). This oath came with the promise to protect the brother and made one owe a deep allegiance to the brother. However, Chaucer questions the strength of this bond by making his characters become corrupted resulting in their violation of their oath. The two brothers break their code when Palmon accuses his brother of falsehood. Chaucer can be said to be exposing the negative conduct of some Knights who are otherwise supposed to be of noble conduct.
The fight between Palmon and Arcite over Emily also brings out great insights on chivalric practice. The legal duel between the two happens over Emily; "I wol be deed, or elles thou shalt dye. / Thou shalt nat love my lady Emelye", (1, 1587-88). The disagreement does not involve the arbitration of a judge; neither do they attempt to amicably solve the issue. Here, Theseus emerges as the ideal ruler, by jailing both Palamon and Arcite, expecting divinity to preside over their judgment. His action is in line with the code of chivalry.
Works Cited
Francine, Hall .Knight Templar Magazine, p. 16-17, August 2001
Malory esteems the code of chivalry professed by the knights. In Le morte d’Arthur, however, Malory, while upholding the greatness of chivalry, seeks to show that it has its faults and often fails. This is due to the difficulty of upholding the codes, mistakes by knights, and sometimes, corruption of morals. To illustrate this, Mallory interpolates cases of knights upholding the code of chivalry, versus cases where the knights break the code of chivalry.
Malory’s portrayal of chivalry in Le morte d’Arthur brings him out as being cynical about chivalry since he sets up the characters to fail I their duty to live by the codes of chivalry. An example is Sir Gawain who in contrary to the code of chivalry that demands acts of mercy denies mercy. In the same scene, the man’s lady in an attempt to shield him becomes a victim of Gawain, an act which is considered shameful in chivalry as Malory states, "to be with all ladies, and to fight for their quarrels; and that ever he should be courteous" (I.104). This is in contrast to Lancelot who is characterized as a noble king due to his acts of mercy. The contradicting characters of Lancelot as a noble knight versus the treacherous human that he is left unresolved by Malory, this somehow brings him out as being indifferent to the failures of man, or being cognizant of the weaknesses and humanity of the noble knights. Malory therefore, applauds chivalry but recognizes that those who practice it are human and therefore, prone to failure.
Works Cited
Malory, Sir Thomas. Le Morte D’Arthur. Ed. Janet Cowen. 2 vols. London: Penguin, 1969.
