The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is a poets and stories about gives modern readers a sense of the language at the time the book also gives a rich, intricate tapestry of medieval social life, combining elements of all classes, from nobles to workers, from priests and nuns to drunkards and thieves. The General Prologue alone provides a panoramic view of society that is not like any found elsewhere in all of literature. Students who are not particularly interested in medieval England can appreciate the author¡¯s technique in capturing the variations of human temperament and behavior. Collections of stories were common in Chaucer¡¯s time, and some still exist today, but the genius of The Canterbury Tales is that the individual stories are presented in a continuing narrative, showing how all of the various pieces of life connect to one another. The characters in the Canterbury Tales come from very different backgrounds and walks of life, but it is easy to divide the characters into three distinct groups, each representing a different aspect of medieval society.
             Chaucer opens the prologue with his description of the Knight (lines 43-80). When one thinks of the middle Ages, knights, castles, and the chivalric code often spring to mind. The knight fits into the first of the three groups the feudal group, or having to do with the land. When describing the knight. Knight was an important part of medieval life. Chaucer seems to hold much respect for the knight, and stresses the fact that though he had traveled abroad and fought in many battles, and not arrogant in any way. Knight is ¡°not gaily dressed,¡± but wears ¡°a fustian tunic, stained and dark¡± (lines 76-77). Knight is an elderly man, quiet and wise, with peaceful nature, and Chaucer seems to respect him for this. The knight represents the importance of the chivalric code in medieval society, and also makes obvious the respect the genera
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