Character Analysis of The Knight
A common perception that one would have about knights during the middle ages is that they were chivalrous. Chivalry is a set of rules and customs that idealize the qualifications of a knight. Some of these qualifications include courtesy, generosity, valor, and mastery of arms. However, one may find stereotyping to be inapplicable to the superficial, selfish and apathetic knight in The Wife of Baths Tale.
One of the many attributes that one may come to realize about the knight is his superficiality. During the night the old lady and the knight wedded, the old lady said, Lastly you taxed me sir, with being old (Holt, 184). This statement implies that the knight accused the lady of not being young and beautiful. Accusing of the old lady of not being youthful and beautiful reveals that the knight judges women by their appearances. And when you reproach me for poverty (Holt 185) implies that the knight also accuses the old lady of being a low-born and unmatched for one born into nobility like the knight is. The knights accusation of the old lady being poor and old validates his own shallowness.
Avarice and lust are both other flaws one may surmise about the knight in The Wife of Baths Tale. The knights forceful plunder of the maidens virginity was a crime that made him as good as dead back in King Arthurs days. It also revealed the knights selfish lust that he did not control although he knew he would effectively ruin her well-preserved chastity just for his own selfish desires. The queen chose to give him a chance to save himself by allowing him to embark on a journey across the country to find the answer to the question What is the thing woman desires most (Holt, 180) however, if he does not give her a satisfactory answer, he shall be beheaded. Wandering about the country for a year, the knight could not find an answer that would not be a satisfactory answer to the queens question. Everywhere the knight went, he found many different answers and he started to lose hope that he would able to escape his punishment. Close to the end of his journey, he is captivated by maidens who danced in a forest. As he drew nearer, the maidens are transformed into an old lady who answers the knights long sought after question. Although the old lady saved his life, she wished to be rewarded by making the knight marry her. Aware that the he is obligated to do so, the knight reluctantly obliges, but the night that they wedded he questions her status and age. Although the old lady says You have two choices; which one will you try? To have me old and ugly till I die, but still a loyal, true, and humble wife That never displease you all her life (Holt, 186) she only said so to validate her point to enlighten the knight that old age is not a such a bad thing, however her actions speak differently. She later turns herself into a beautiful, young girl as she knows that the knight not only wants a good loyal wife, but he is also greedy and lustful and he will only be happy with her if she were young.
Another characteristic that one may find out about the knight is how apathetic he is. Even though the old lady saved the knights life with her words of wisdom, he still hesitated to marry her because of her age and status. Another demonstration of his apathy is his lack of sympathy towards the maiden he raped. Aware of her chastity, the knight should have prevented his own act of aggression toward the maiden. This displays the knights apathy.
The knights action illustrates a lack of resemblances to those of a stereotypical chivalrous knight. From accusing the his wife of old age to nonchalantly taking the chastity of a young maiden, the knight has proven time and time again that he lacks the idealistic qualities of a chivalrous knight. (Do we still have human beings that are like this knight?) (Does this knights description fit that of a timeless and universal model?) (Whether the knight can be considered timeless and universal?)
Works Cited
Geoffrey, Chaucer The Wife of Baths Tale. November 17, 2009. October 29, 1998
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