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Benedict Arnold

Are all knights foolish...

In Chaucer's "Wife of Bath's Tale" the knight returns to the court, after a year and a day, to face possible execution.  This seems poorly considered.  Why did he just go off and recreate himself elsewhere?

Posted - November 18, 2016
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Responses


  • Hmm people do stupid things? And the tale reflects that?
      November 18, 2016 2:50 PM MST
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  • Could well be.
      November 22, 2016 8:23 AM MST
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  • 46117
    Because he is a knight and all knights are foolish.

    They must honor the code.  You know that code thing?

    This post was edited by WM BARR . =ABSOLUTE TRASH at November 18, 2016 5:04 PM MST
      November 18, 2016 4:52 PM MST
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  • Fie! A pox on the code.
      November 18, 2016 5:05 PM MST
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  • all knights have bee dubbed  .    ;-)

      November 18, 2016 5:22 PM MST
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  • It's fiction, so the characters are Chaucer's to behave as he chooses.
    Chaucer has the knight act in conformity with the customs of Medieval times: the knight, being sworn to honour and obey his king, would not consider absconding. Coming from a minority class, it would be next to impossible for him to hide without abandoning his profession and way of life. He could not easily retrain to do another job. And it would be unlikely that he would want to give up his privileges.

    But there was plenty foolish about knights...
    https://youtu.be/dhRUe-gz690 This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at November 22, 2016 5:54 AM MST
      November 22, 2016 5:52 AM MST
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  • Prithee peace.  Forsooth, I appreciate this thoughtful and serious reply full sore.  I had intended a mere jape in my question, you have played well!
      November 22, 2016 8:22 AM MST
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  • LOL!
    Did you check out the Monty Python clip?
    A different ending to the sober reply ... ;-)
      November 23, 2016 2:39 PM MST
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  • I think that probably had something to do with obligation.
    However, the Knight - like the fool - had become synonymous in satirical terms with grandiosity and pompsity. 
    Aristophanes, the Ancient Greek satirical comedian, scripted a whole play on the subject.
    Wasn't Don Quixote a knight?
      November 22, 2016 6:02 AM MST
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