1. In the pile of bloody bodies, we are given a description of two knights lying side-by-side, wearing the same armor. They were cousins, because their mothers were sisters. They were lying there in between the states of life and death. Did this description desensitize or romanticize death? Is the fact that they are knights symbolic of the ambiguous middle ground in the chivalric code, in knighthood, in war? There seems to be a discrepancy that is hard to describe. There is a parallel between the relationship of God (faith or religious doctrine or the basis of Knighthood morality) and war and life and death. Does this scene represent the fog of war or the truth of war? Is this the dark side of war told in a romanticized lightness? Yes, these are over specified poles and incomplete binary understandings. However, what does this symbolize to you?
2. There is a pervasive theme of organized and civilized structure throughout this tale. The garden, in which Emelye spends her time picking flowers, is a man-made and man-kept garden. Is this natural? The fact that the Knight went first and he is a member of the first estate implicitly draws into question if the social hierarchy should be endorsed or critiqued. During this time frame, the Great Chain of Being philosophy was widely believed. The civilized tournament in a man-made amphitheater is more acceptable to the characters in the tale versus the "barbaric" fighting in the woods (a natural environment). What does this tell you about society and organization? Do you feel that these details are significant? What other details suggest or lead you to analyze structure and order in The Canterbury Tales?
3. What makes a prison? Are physical confinements what make a prison or is it a mental state that captivates one and ensures imprisonment? Richard Lovelace once wrote, "Stone walls do not a Prison make / Nor iron bars a cage / Minds innocent and quiet take / That for hermitage / If I have freedom in my love / And my soul am free / Angels alone that soar above / Enjoy such liberty" (1642). Between Palamon and Arcite, which situation do you believe was worse? Why? Which situation was more imprisoning?
4. Why do you believe that the Knight was selected to tell the first tale? Referencing the question I asked you to keep in mind in the beginning of this anthology, why do you think Chaucer makes this decision? Is Chaucer critiquing or endorsing/supporting the societal structure of the time?
5. Lastly, what is your take on the ending of the story? How do you feel about the Prime Mover's speech? Do you think this was a good ending? Palamon and Emelye live happily ever after. Do you feel that the ending was just right? Or perhaps a little rushed as if there was nothing more to say? If you had to come up with the moral of this tale, what would it be? What pervasive themes are present (love and war | art and chaos | etc.)?
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