The role of chivalric bodies and embodiments in chivalric romance

Last updated 05 December 2024

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The knight’s tale is a story that was written by Geoffrey Chaucer in his collection of the Canterbury Tales. The story regards two cousins; Arcite and Palamon who had been captured and imprisoned by these, Duke of Athens. If the pillagers would not have found them, then they would have died of the wounds that they got during a war in which they lost to Creon the King of Thebes. After being captured, they were sent to Athens and imprisoned since they were of Royal blood. They spent so many years in the prison with no hope of ever getting out of prison until one day when Palamon sees a beautiful goddess through the window. Immediately, he falls in love with the goddess like a woman. When the king finds out that the two cousins are deeply in love with Emily, he sets a battle between the two, and they were to fight to the death, and the winner was to win Emily’s love. Even though Arcite wins, he ends up badly wounded and decides that Palamon should take Emily’s hand after which the two end up together with a long joyful marriage. The romance depicted in this tale is greatly influenced by chivalric bodies and embodiments which were common during the setting of the story (Chaucer, Wright & Cannon 2011). Therefore, this essay carries out a critical analysis of the knight’s tale to identify the role of chivalric bodies and embodiments in chivalric romance paying attention to bodies in motion, wounded bodies, sexualized bodies, spiritualized bodies, the body clothed or armored, social bodies, the gesturing body, the speaking body, bodies in battle, violated bodies, virginity and death.

The roles of chivalric bodies in chivalric romance

Majorly, in “The Knight’s tale, the chivalric bodies have been used to show power, ruling and order in chivalric romance. Chivalry bodies entail the systems of rituals, duties and even behaviors that were expected to be adhered to if one wanted to behave in an honorable manner. Therefore, in “The Knight’s tale,” Palamon and Arcite ought to have adhered by these chivalric rules in their adventures though they failed which is an instance of violated bodies. One of the codes of chivalry was keeping your promises. The role of this code in chivalric romance was to ensure that people hold on to their promises (Chaucer, Wright & Cannon 2011). However, within the tale, it is evident that the two lead characters break this code. The breaking of the chivalric code is an indication that romance at the time was superior to the rules that were set to guide the people. It was also an indication that there are times when a person’s feeling supersedes their judgment thus chivalric bodies were used to show the superiority of romantic feelings. Also, another chivalric body was defending the helpless. The role of this code in chivalric romance was to ensure that even the unfortunate in the society are shown pity and love. This code is upheld within the tale. Palamonleaves Emily with whom she was gravely in love with to his cousin Arcite since he had won the war and did not want him to feel like he was helpless. Therefore, it can be asserted that another role of chivalry codes is showing compassion among the unfortunate in the society and ensure that equality was attained in the community. From this body, bodies in motion is evident especially where the author describes the fight “To see them fight, you’d have thought Palamon Had been a raging ravenous lion; And Arcita a cruel ruthless tiger. They ran against each other, mad with ire, (Chaucer, Wright & Cannon 2011).

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Furthermore, the role of chivalry bodies in chivalry romance was to ensure that people within those societies remained loyal to their lord regardless of any circumstance. It is for this reason that Palamonand Arcite had to respect the king’s rule of fighting one another to death. The roles of chivalric bodies were to honor the wishes of the king and not to protect one even though their bodies were badly wounded, clothed or armored or whether the rule of the king violated individual’s bodies. On the other hand, their tale regards a courtly love which called for the loyalty of the night to just a single person, Emily who was the lady the knight was fell in love. Therefore, this indicated that there were rules for love during the chivalry romance. It was thus the role of chivalry bodies to ensure that the rules within chivalry romance were followed to the latter. Deducing from the story, when the king who is an administrator of the chivalry codes found out that the two cousins were in love with one lady, he saw it unfit according to the courtly love rules. It is due to this that the king ordered the two to fight and the winner to be the one taking Emily’s hand (Chaucer, Wright & Cannon 2011).

The role of embodiments in chivalric romance

In “The Knight’s Tale” the author has used several phrases, words and scenarios to bring out the theme of Romance and love. These phrases, words, and scenarios are aspects that bring out the embodiments within the chivalric romance. Often, embodiments of the chivalric romance have been used to describe how people during the time valued love and even went an extra mile to seek a lady’s favor through valor. As depicted in the story of courtly love, the men in the tale show their love a higher woman from a far distance in a literal sense through the words they utter. For example, when Palamon sees Emily, she claims that the fair beauty of the lady who roams in yonder spot had immediately slain him. He goes on to assert that if the lady does not pity and show grace to him by allowing him to see her, then he will die after which has no more to utter. “Unless I win her mercy and her grace, that I at least may see her every day, I’m better dead, what more is there to say?” (Chaucer, Wright & Cannon 2011, p. 31). This is a clear indication of how embodiments were imperative during the chivalry romance period in the course of describing a man’s affection towards a woman he is in love with. It is also an indication of how social bodies were expressed during the time.

Sexualized bodies are evident in how Emily is descrived by Palamon where the author asserts that “Also, the garden filled with greenery, In which the fair and radiant Emily was wondering, and walking up and down.” (Chaucer, Wright & Cannon 2011, p. 30). Within the story, embodiments were used during the period to show the extent to which one was ready to sacrifice for love. From the two, cousins, it is clear that love was superior to life and people often preferred to die rather than not being with a person that they loved. Through embodiments as depicted in “The Knight’s Tale,” it can also be seen that the chivalric romance surpassed the law of the land and people did not care of what the law holds for they were ready to go against it to get a chance to be with the people they loved. After Palomon’s description of Emily’s beauty and the extent that he was ready to go to have her, Arcite also asserts that he was ready to pay for anything in order to acquire her love. He promises to go directly to Athens without fearing that he might be killed just to see the lady with who he is in love and have the chance of serving her. This embodiment also depicts that men were ready to serve women at the time as long as they were in love with them. He also adds that he only wished to hold him once even if it meant that he would die after it (Chaucer, Wright & Cannon 2011). This embodiment has been used in the narrative to depict how highly romance and love were valued at the time. Through these embodiments, one can picture that love was a prioritized thing over anything else even among individuals from the royal families.

Additionally, gesturing bodies in the story is evident through the embodiment whereby embodiment has been used to offer descriptions for example where the author describes that “The busy lark, the messenger of the day, With song is saluting the morning grey, while burning Phoebus, rising up so bright That all the east is laughing in the light” (Chaucer, Wright & Cannon 2011, p. 40). Also, it is evident in Chaucer’s writing that embodiments were used to bring out the aspects of adventure in his stories which portray moving bodies within chivalry romance. Therefore, it can be asserted that another role of embodiments in chivalry romance was to show the role of adventure in romance during the period in which the chivalry codes were formulated and employed which range from 1170 to 1220. The authors of these age used embodiments of adventure to give greater meaning to their audience regarding the romantic stories that they wrote. As a result, some authors have pointed out that adventure was a characteristic of romance during the medieval period though it is still relevant even to the contemporary audiences. Then, an adventure was greatly associated with romance precisely as the most popular secular type of literature that was available during the middle ages (Chaucer, Wright & Cannon 2011).

Embodiments have also been used within the tale to explain about violated bodies and death. Within the tale, the author asserts that “For man dies, just like any animal, suffers imprisonment and goal as well, endures great adversity and sickness” (Chaucer, Wright & Cannon 2011, p. 36). From this statement, it is evident that the author tried to show how bodies were violated in prison and how death was perceived in chivalry romance. Moreover, another role of the embodiment was to bring out the three-part structure of chivalry romance during the medieval period. The first part of the chivalry romance that has been clearly brought out through the stated embodiments is integration. Integration regards the social unity such as a family as shown between Palamonand Archite who were cousins. The second part of the chivalry romance is the disintegration. Disintegration is evident when the social unity marked by integration is interrupted by an issue and put to the test. From the “The Knight’s Tale,” disintegration is seen when the two cousins social unity is disrupted by their love for Emily and the King Theseus decides to put them to test. The third part of the chivalry relationship is the reintegration. This phase entails the happy ending when the family finally reunites. The stage follows a moment when the test has been accomplished successfully. In the tale, embodiments have been used to show reintegration whereby Palamon expresses his feelings regarding the outcome of the battle. He asserts that even though he has emerged as the winner, he is severely wounded and it would be better if his cousins join hands with Emily who was their love (Chaucer, Wright & Cannon 2011).This shows a happy ending whereby a rivalry between family members is dissolved, and they are united. Apart from denoting a happy ending, it also portrays wounded bodies that are as a result of the fight. Furthermore, from the fight, aspects of bodies in battle are portrayed by the author.

Conclusion

In conclusion, chivalric bodies or codes and embodiments played critical roles in chivalric romance. Through these elements, law and order were administered in relationships and the welfare of the society at the time. Also, they helped in showing the value of love and the extent to which people were dedicated to going in order to acquire love from the people they had fallen for in love. Also, the elements of chivalric bodies and embodiments were integral in the romance since they provided rules that ensured that romance was conducted in an honorable manner.