Реферат: Compare And Contrast The Kngiht And The

Squire Essay, Research Paper

Compare and Contrast the Kngiht and the Squire

Geoffrey Chaucer portrayed a cross section of medieval society though

The Canterbury Tales. “The Prologue” or foreword of this work serves as

an introduction to each of the thirty one characters involved in the tales.

Two of these characters are the K

ght and the Squire, who share a father and son relation. These individuals

depart on a religious pilgrimage to a cathedral in Canterbury. The Squire,

opposed to the Knight, goes for a vacation instead of religious purposes.

His intent is not as genuin

and pure as his father’s. Though the Knight and the Squire are from

the same feudal class and vocation, they differ in the fact that the Knight

represents how society should have been; and the Squire depicts an accurate

portrayal of how it actually was.

Chivalry, heroism, and modesty delineate the Knight, whose upright standards

and principles illustrate a true gentleman; these characteristics are not

evident in the Squire. Even though the Knight has won many wars, he is

careful not to brag about his

ctories. The most recurrent point in the description of the Knight

is the abundance and importance of his conquests; however, the Squire’s

battles are barely mentioned. While the entirety of the Squire’s battles

are summed up in two lines (”he had se

some service with the cavalry / In Flanders and Artois and Picardy”),

the list of the Knight’s battles dominates his description (Chaucer 120).

The Squire’s battles are not fought in the interest of his chivalry. On

the other hand, the Knight is disti

uished and chivalrous because of his unconditional devotion. Chaucer

admired the valiant and noble Knight above the overbearing Squire.

Regarding clothing and appearance, the humble Knight chooses to wear