The Knight And His Internal Conflict Essay Example for Free

The Knight And His Internal Conflict Essay The introduction of the Knight in Chaucer’s â€Å"General Prologue† of The Canterbury Tales, albeit brief, presents an interesting, enigmatic portrait of a character whose external appearance seems to provide a cover for what might be a conflicted spirit underneath. In a way, the Knight embodies the concept, to borrow from the film Billy Jack, is a â€Å"war hero who hated the war† and whose personal discipline is what keeps chinks in the armor of his psyche from degenerating. From the outset, the Knight is presented to the reader as a noble hero whose personal sense of honor is what separates him from the other pilgrims. Examine how Chaucer describes the character in the initial lines that introduce the Knight: A knight there was, and he a worthy man, Who, from the moment that he first began, To ride about the world, loved chivalry, Truth, honour, freedom and all courtesy, Full worthy was he in his liege-lords war, And therein had he ridden (none more far) The portrait that Chaucer paints here is that, in his heart, the Knight is a good person with a high sense of personal discipline and moral values. Through his entry into military service, the Knight undertakes the responsibility to fight in his â€Å"liege-lord’s war† which is essentially the conduit for the Knight’s personal, internal values of nobility to be put into action through his service in his Lord’s â€Å"noble† wars. The Knight’s forays into various wars were significant in terms of volumes and intensity. From the description that Chaucer provides, we learn that the Knight essentially found himself in the middle of a perpetual state of war as he was sent to foreign land after foreign land to conquer and pillage in the name of his Lord. In terms of his prolific involvement in numerous battles, Chaucer writes: When they were won; and on the Middle Sea At many a noble meeting chanced to be. Of mortal battles he had fought fifteen, And hed fought for our faith at Tramissene, Three times in lists, and each time slain his foe From here, the narrator is clearly defining the character to the reader as a man whose moral character far exceeds that of normal men as the Knight is presented in a highly idealized manner. This description shows the Knight as a man of action serving his Lord and, more importantly, the Knight is presented as a war hero who successfully battled infidels in a series of 15 military actions without losing his sanity. Chaucer points out that the Knight not only survived the 15 military incursions in which he was involved, but he rose to the occasion and performed with a sense of valor and honor in such a world of bloodlust. This concept of remaining noble in war shows that despite the horror and bloodlust of the wars around him, the Knight did not â€Å"crack† and loose his composure. Keep in mind, during the Crusades, the ability for the soldiers to receive food and supplies was compromised as the opposing Islamic factions repeatedly would severe supply lines in an attempt to starve the Crusaders. The result of this is that the Crusaders would routinely go berserk and raid and pillage villages for food. The fact that Chaucer presents the Knight as noble and not a victim of combat stress shows that the Knight’s moral character remained strong enough to maintain his sanity in a war zone, mainly because the Knight detached himself from the carnage of the war and reached inside to he personal code of chivalry to maintain his composure. This detachment, however, would not maintain when the Knight left the battlefield, as he The seems to struggle with the internal manifestation of unresolved feelings and guilt about the war. Per Chaucer’s description: Though so illustrious, he was very wise, And bore himself as meekly as a maid. He never yet had any vileness said, In all his life, to whatsoever wight. He was a truly perfect, gentle knight. But now, to tell you all of his array, His steeds were good, but yet he was not gay. Of simple fustian wore he a jupon, Sadly discoloured by his habergeon; Here, the narrator shows the â€Å"chinks in the armor† of the Knight’s psyche. This passage clearly demonstrates that the Knight’s disposition displays a sense of sadness and alienation. Since the Knight has been starkly drawn as a character who is inseparable with the wars he fought, then the root of the sadness must have been from his experience in the war. In terms of the Knight’s outward personality, the experiences he faced in the war greatly humbled him as the time spent in the wars has clearly disillusioned him. (â€Å"His steeds were good, yet he was not gay.†) Perhaps the reason that the Knight goes on the pilgrimage is so he can find in himself that part of his spirit and his soul that he left on the battlefield. Yes, the Knight embodies all that was noble, but at what cost? So the Knight can live a life that is consumed by the guilt he feels about his experiences on the battlefield?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Knight remains one of the most intriguing characters in all of Canterbury Tales, the reason for this is the fact that the Knight is a noble, but internally conflicted character whose motives for the pilgrimage appear to be driven by disillusionment and guilt.