The Canterbury Tales: A Character Sketch of Chaucer's Knight
             Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, written in approximately
             1385, is a collection of twenty-four stories ostensibly told by
             various people who are going on a religious pilgrimage to
             Canterbury Cathedral from London, England. Prior to the actual
             tales, however, Chaucer offers the reader a glimpse of fourteenth
             century life by way of what he refers to as a General Prologue.
             In this prologue, Chaucer introduces all of the characters who are
             involved in this imaginary journey and who will tell the tales.
             Among the characters included in this introductory section is a
             knight. Chaucer initially refers to the knight as "a most
             distinguished man" (l. 43) and, indeed, his sketch of the knight
             The knight, Chaucer tells us, "possessed/Fine horses, but he was
             not gaily dressed" (ll. 69-70). Indeed, the knight is dressed in
             a common shirt which is stained "where his armor had left mark"
             (l. 72). That is, the knight is "just home from service" (l. 73)
             and is in such a hurry to go on his pilgrimage that he has not
             even paused before beginning it to change his clothes.
             The knight has had a very busy life as his fighting career has
             taken him to a great many places. He has seen military service in
             Egypt, Lithuania, Prussia, Russia, Spain, North Africa, and Asia
             Minor where he "was of [great] value in all eyes (l. 63). Even
             though he has had a very successful and busy career, he is
             extremely humble: Chaucer maintains that he is "modest as a maid"
             (l. 65). Moreover, he has never said a rude thing to anyone in
             his entire life (cf., ll. 66-7). Clearly, the knight possesses an
             Chaucer gives to the knight one of the more flattering
             descriptions in the General Prologue. The knight can do no
             wrong: he is an outstanding warrior who has fought for the true
             faith_according to Chaucer_on three continents. In the midst...