Tuesday, October 8, 2013

In The Canterbury Tales, what details does Chaucer use to describe the Knight and the Squire?

First, the Knight and the squire are two people.  The squire is the Knight's son.  The Knight is the first pilgrim described in the General Prologue and he is described in glowing terms.  He possesses the qualities that Chaucer felt a Knight should have: truth, honor, generousness, and courtesy.  He had proven himself in battle.  He was successful in jousts, he was modest, he was not boorish, and he was not ostentatious in his dress. He was, "...a perfect gentle-knight."  The squire was a hot-blooded youth who was also good-looking and enjoyed the company of women.  He is about 20 and has already seen some battle time where he has been a valiant soldier.  He knows how to ride a horse quite well and he is a good dancer and jouster. He's also courteous and will probably follow in his father's footsteps in all aspects.

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