These included members of the First Estate, or Church hierarchy, like The Prioress, Monk, Friar, Parson, and Pardoner. Characters belonging to the Second Estate were the nobility and included The Knight.
the nobility
In The Canterbury Tales, the Knight is a representative of those who belong to the very high social class of the nobility.
How is the Knight described in Canterbury Tales?
Character Description. The Knight is “worthy,” chivalrous, honest, honorable, and courteous. Instead of opening with the pilgrim’s appearance, as Chaucer does for many other characters, he begins by directly associating the knight with an upstanding moral stature.
What does the Knight value in the Canterbury Tales?
Although the Middle English spellings are quite different from modern English, we can still make out that the Knight is considered worthy and values chivalry, truth, honor, freedom, and courtesy.
Who is middle class in Canterbury Tales?
And Chaucer’s interest in middle class characters, such as a cook, carpenter, miller, lawyer, merchant, clerk, physician reflects the rise of the middle class in the fourteenth century (Collin 1).
The five groups were Royalty, Nobility, Church, Merchants, and Peasantry.
What was the noble class in The Canterbury Tales?
The nobility in The Canterbury Tales is represented by the knight, which Chaucer describes as loving, “trouthe and honour, freedom and curteisye” (46). Since the knight is a worthy defender and protector of the people, the modern-day equivalent would be our country’s police officers and military.
What kind of person is a knight?
a mounted soldier serving under a feudal superior in the Middle Ages. (in Europe in the Middle Ages) a man, usually of noble birth, who after an apprenticeship as page and squire was raised to honorable military rank and bound to chivalrous conduct. any person of a rank similar to that of the medieval knight.
What does knight symbolize?
By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior. Often, a knight was a vassal who served as an elite fighter or a bodyguard for a lord, with payment in the form of land holdings.
How would you describe knights?
Knights were medieval gentleman-soldiers, usually high-born, raised by a sovereign to privileged military status after training as a page and squire. Originally knights were attendants or specialized foot-soldiers, but the status of knights was elevated around 800 A.D.
What is ironic about the knight in the Canterbury Tales?
In The Canterbury Tales, the Knight’s character is ironic. The Knight is portrayed as a sensitive, kind, compassionate, intelligent, soft spoken, well-mannered man. However, the reader is supposed to believe that this same man is a formidable soldier on the battle field who has killed many men during his campaigns.
Is a knight more valuable than a bishop?
The Bishops and Knights are worth 3 points but it is generally considered that the Bishops are worth slightly more than the Knights.
What are the character traits of a knight?
Knights
- Mercy (Towards the poor and oppressed. They were supposed to be harsh with evil-doers.)
- Humility.
- Honor.
- Sacrifice.
- Fear of God.
- Faithfulness.
- Courage.
- Utmost graciousness and courtesy to ladies.
The wealthiest class with the most respect is royalty, which is followed by the noble. Both royalty and noble had a few things in common, one being clothes made from fine materials with bright colors and fancy food covered in seasonings that were devoured by the rich and served by the poor (The Middle Ages, 2018).
Throughout “Canterbury Tales,” each of the characters fits into a certain type or class of person; the Knight being a noble upperclassman, the Miller is a peasant/tradesman, the Wife of Bath representing the women/middle class, and the Pardoner portraying the Clergyman.
What estate is the knight in Canterbury Tales?
The character of the knight is a good example of the second estate. The knight is concerned with travel, battle, chivalry, and fame. He does not work for a living, nor is concerned with such menial tasks as making a living, money, or labor.
The three Medieval estates were the Clergy (those who prayed), the Nobility (those who fought) and lastly the Peasantry (those who labored).
Based upon the descriptions and illustrations of the characters, it aims to explore the hierarchal structure of the medieval society which is divided into three main groups or ‘estates’: the ones who pray, the ones who rule and govern, and the ones who work.
the Knight
In The Canterbury Tales, the Knight has the highest social rank amongst the pilgrims, and he is introduced first by the narrator. He is also the first person to tell his story.
Is a noble upper class?
upper class Conventionally the upper class is often thought of as equivalent to the ‘aristocracy’: that is, the (often hereditary) noble class, comprising peers (in medieval England the dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts, and barons) and landed magnates (or ‘gentlemen’).
working class man
The Skipper (or Shipman) in The Canterbury Tales stands out as a character because he is a straight-forward, working class man who lacks the hypocrisy of many other characters who have more wealth and status.