
What is the style of a Knight's tale?
Accordingly, what type of tale is the Knight's Tale? Adventure, Historical Fiction. "The Knight's Tale" is a work of fiction set in a time period much earlier than the one in which it's written. (The …
Is a Knight's tale based on a true story?
The tale the Knight tells is an expression of the noble ideal as it was probably understood by many of the knights who testified in that trial. The Knight's Tale has evoked much interpretive …
When did a Knight's tale come out?
May 11, 2001 · A Knight's Tale: Directed by Brian Helgeland. With Heath Ledger, Rufus Sewell, Shannyn Sossamon, Paul Bettany. After his master dies, a peasant squire, fueled by his desire …
What is a Knight's tale by William Shakespeare about?
Part I: Duke Theseus returns from overthrowing Scythia with his new wife, Hippolyta, and her sister, Emilie. Outside Athens, he meets a band of weeping women and learns that the tyrant …
What genre would a knights tale fall under?
"The Knight's Tale" is a work of fiction set in a time period much earlier than the one in which it's written. (The story is told in medieval England, but it's about ancient Greece.) This makes it a medieval version of what, today, we might call historical fiction.
Is the knight's tale a tragedy or comedy?
Is The Knight's Tale A romance?
What genre is The Canterbury Tales classified under?
What is the theme of the Knight's Tale?
How does Chaucer describe the Knight?
What does the Knight's Tale say about love?
How is chivalry shown in the Knight's Tale?
What is a chivalric tale?
What genre is the book of the duchess?
What are the themes of Canterbury Tales?
- Social Satire. Medieval society was divided into three estates: the Church (those who prayed), the Nobility (those who fought), and the Peasantry (those who worked). ...
- Competition. ...
- Courtly Love and Sexual Desire. ...
- Friendship and Company. ...
- Church Corruption. ...
- Writing and Authorship.
What season is described in the opening of The Canterbury Tales?
Is Knight's Tale a romance?
Nevertheless the Knight's Tale is a romance, though a very unusual one, rather than a pseudo-classical epic; its high style, learned astrological references, and heavy infusion of philosophical, mainly Boethian themes set it apart from most English popular romances of the time.
Who does Palamon pray to?
Palamon prays to Venus to grant him Emily and the goddess agrees; Arcite prays to Mars for victory, and Mars agrees. Wise old Saturn finds a way to satisfy both Mars and Venus. Palamon loses the tournament; he is captured, and Arcite rides through the arena in triumph.
What is the plot of the Black Plague?
Plot. At a jousting tournament in 14th century Europe, several years after the Black Plague, squires William, Roland, and Wat discover that their master, Sir Ector, has died. With just one more pass, he could have won the tournament. Destitute, William wears Sir Ector's armour to impersonate him, taking the prize.
Who plays Roland in the movie?
Mark Addy as Roland, a squire to the late Sir Ector and a loyal friend of William. Alan Tudyk as Wat, a violent, young squire who is obsessed with the greater things in life. He grows desperate but is a good friend of William. Paul Bettany as Geoffrey Chaucer, who is portrayed as a big-headed writer and ring announcer.
Who is William Thatcher?
It follows a peasant named William Thatcher, a squire who poses as a knight and competes in tournaments, winning accolades and acquiring friendships with such historical figures as Edward the Black Prince and Geoffrey Chaucer .
Who did Adhemar defeat in the final joust?
In the final joust, Adhemar defeats William. At the prize ceremony, William vows revenge on Adhemar, who then taunts William, "You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting.". Kate joins William 's party and forges new lightweight armor.
What was Shannyn Sossamon nominated for?
Shannyn Sossamon was nominated for Breakthrough Female performance, losing to Mandy Moore in A Walk to Remember. The film was also nominated for Best Kiss, and Best Musical Sequence, losing to American Pie 2 and Moulin Rouge!, respectively.
Storyline
Inspired by "The Canterbury Tales," as well as the early life of William Marshall (later First Earl of Pembroke), this is the story of William, a young squire with a gift for jousting. After his master dies suddenly, the squire hits the road with his cohorts Roland and Wat. On the journey, they stumble across an unknown writer, Chaucer.
Did you know
When Chaucer first introduces "Sir Ulrich" in his speech, the crowd doesn't react at first because the Czech extras didn't understand it. Mark Addy 's loud prompt tipped them off to start cheering. The awkward moment was left in because it made the scene funnier.
What is the emphasis of The Knight's Tale?
The emphasis in the story is upon rules of honor and proper conduct. Theseus, like the Knight himself, is an embodiment of the ideal Human Justice — reason.
Who is Duke Theseus' wife?
The Knight's Tale. Part I: Duke Theseus returns from overthrowing Scythia with his new wife, Hippolyta, and her sister, Emilie. Outside Athens, he meets a band of weeping women and learns that the tyrant Creon has murdered their husbands and dishonors the dead by leaving them unburied.
Who is the messenger of the gods?
One night, Mercury, the messenger of the gods, appears and orders him to return to Athens, which he does. Taking the name Philostrate, Arcite is employed as a page in the House of Emilie. Several years pass and Philostrate/Arcite rises to a high and respected position in the court of Theseus.
What is Creon's tyranny?
Creon's tyranny, on the other hand, represents a worse form of social disorder: Creon's base lower nature (filled with anger and iniquity) has usurped the place of his reason. The two wars are also significant in another way. They show the ideal knight's relationship with women.
Who does Arcite pray to?
Arcite prays to Mars, god of war, for victory. He believes that only force can win Emilie's love. Part IV: Here the Knight turns to a description of the banquet and the elaborate decorations of the stadium and the rituals connected with the funeral at the end of the tale.
By Geoffrey Chaucer
"The Knight's Tale" is a work of fiction set in a time period much earlier than the one in which it's written. (The story is told in medieval England, but it's about ancient Greece.) This makes it a medieval version of what, today, we might call historical fiction.
Adventure, Historical Fiction
"The Knight's Tale" is a work of fiction set in a time period much earlier than the one in which it's written. (The story is told in medieval England, but it's about ancient Greece.) This makes it a medieval version of what, today, we might call historical fiction.
What is the genre of a story?
Genre is the type or category of a story. It places it within a specific context. This helps the reader or watcher recognize some of the parameters the author may make. Geoffrey Chaucer makes use of several genres in The Canterbury Tales.
What is the Canterbury Tales?
In Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, the author tells a humorous set of stories through prose and poetry. To better understand the story, the reader must explore the genres, or categories, which operate within it.
What is the beginning of the Canterbury Tales?
The Canterbury Tales begins with a prologue which introduces the frame of the book. It explains there will be several stories told by characters on the way to Canterbury, as well as brief introductions to the separate characters.
What is genre in literature?
This is where genre can help viewers choose a movie or book. Genre is the type or category of a story. It places it within a specific context.
Can you choose a book at random?
It can be difficult to choose a book at random and it is similarly difficult to choose a movie. This is where genre can help viewers choose a movie or book.
What does romance mean in writing?
However, as used in Chaucer's time and throughout most of literature, romance in writing applies to both love and war , usually in a refined setting. It typically involves idealized behavior or events.
What is a dream vision?
Dream visions are stories in which the narrator or protagonist receives guidance in a dream from God or a god, the devil, or natural causes. A dream vision usually follows this timeline: The dreamer falls asleep during some crisis or problematic time. The dreamer enters a beautiful place.

Overview
- "The Knight's Tale" is the first tale from Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. The Knight is described by Chaucer in the "General Prologue" as the person of highest social standing amongst the pilgrims, though his manners and clothes are unpretentious. We are told that he has taken part in some fifteen crusades in many countries and also fough...
Sources and composition
- The epic poem Teseida by Giovanni Boccaccio is the source of the tale, although Chaucer makes many significant diversions from that poem. The Teseida has 9,896 lines in twelve books, while "The Knight's Tale" has only 2,250 lines—though it is still one of the longest poems in the Tales. Most of the epic characteristics of the Teseida are removed, and instead the poem conforms pri…
Synopsis
- Two cousins and knights, Palamon and Arcite, are captured and imprisoned by Theseus, duke of Athens, after being found unconscious following his battle against Creon. Their cell sits in the tower of Theseus' castle, with a window which overlooks his palace garden. The imprisoned Palamon wakes early one morning in May and catches sight of Princess Emelye, who is Theseu…
The First Mover
- The First Mover or the Firste Moevere is a speech delivered by Theseus, spanning lines 2129–2216, bringing the poem's narrative to its close.
Adaptations and derivations
- Richard Edwardes's 1566 play Palamon and Arcite is based on this tale, but the text of the play is lost. Another version of the story was performed in 1594, but this is only known from a reference in Philip Henslowe's diary. The Two Noble Kinsmen, a 1613 play co-written by William Shakespeare and John Fletcher, is based on the tale. John Dryden translated this story into the l…
Overview
A Knight's Tale is a 2001 American medieval adventure comedy film written, co-produced and directed by Brian Helgeland. The film stars Heath Ledger as William Thatcher, a peasant squire who poses as a knight and competes in tournaments, winning accolades and acquiring friendships with such historical figures as Edward the Black Prince (James Purefoy) and Geoffrey Chaucer (Pau…
Plot
At a jousting tournament in 14th century Europe, several years after the Black Plague, squires William Thatcher, Roland, and Wat discover that their master, Sir Ector, has died. With just one more pass, he could have won the tournament. Destitute, William wears Sir Ector's armour to impersonate him, taking the prize.
Although only nobles are allowed in tournaments, William is inspired to compete and win more p…
Cast
• Heath Ledger as William Thatcher, the protagonist who is a brave and loyal peasant who has dreamt of being a knight since childhood.
• Shannyn Sossamon as Jocelyn, a lady of noble birth, bound to the church and encouraged to be faithful to God but enjoys the fun and tricks in life.
• Rufus Sewellas Count Adhemar, the antagonist who is a wealthy, battle hardened knight. Thatcher offends Adhemar by intruding upon a conversation between Adhemar and Joc…
• Heath Ledger as William Thatcher, the protagonist who is a brave and loyal peasant who has dreamt of being a knight since childhood.
• Shannyn Sossamon as Jocelyn, a lady of noble birth, bound to the church and encouraged to be faithful to God but enjoys the fun and tricks in life.
• Rufus Sewellas Count Adhemar, the antagonist who is a wealthy, battle hardened knight. Thatcher offends Adhemar by intruding upon a conversation between Adhemar and Jocelyn, leading to th…
Production
A Knight's Tale was "filmed entirely on location in the Czech Republic at Barrandov Studios, Prague" during the summer of 2000.
Lances were created that would convincingly explode upon impact without injuring the stunt riders. The body of each lance was scored so it would break easily, and the tips were made of balsa wood. Each was also hollowed out, with the holes filled with balsa splinters and uncooked
Music
The film, which notionally took place during the Middle Ages, is notable for its deliberate use of classic rock songs in its soundtrack. The ten that were credited in the film are listed in order of appearance:
• "We Will Rock You" – Queen
• "Low Rider" – War
Reception
Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 58% based on reviews from 148 critics. The website's critical consensus says, "Once you get past the anachronism, A Knight's Tale becomes a predictable, if spirited, Rocky on horseback." On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 54 out of 100, sampled from 32 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Roger Ebertgave the film 3 stars out of 4 and argued that the anachronisms made little differenc…
See also
• List of historical period drama films
External links
• A Knight's Tale at IMDb
• A Knight's Tale at AllMovie
• A Knight's Tale at Box Office Mojo
• A Knight's Tale at Rotten Tomatoes