Chaucers Canterbury Tales - Importance of Order in Knights Tale Essa

The Importance of Order in gentles Tale Chaucer adopts to place the Knights Tale just after the General Prologue by chance, the drawing of lots. The Knight draws the short straw, and each are glad for it. The appropriateness of his lengthy tale to follow is clear on some levels, and barely perceptible on others. I intend to instal my investigation of the Knights Tale with a scrutiny of these three statements, and perhaps we shall find an interesting conclusion in this, albeit a disputable one. The honorable Host, Harry Bailey, begins this famous day of pilgrimage by calling everyone together to draw lots, He which that hath the shorteste shal beginne. (838) He calls the Knight to draw first, presumably as a gesture of respect, as he refers to the Knight as master and lord. Harry continues to speak for a short moment, as we have the visual image of the Knight stepping up to claim his straw. The host continues to call up two more pilgrims, scarce quickly decides that everyone m ight as well draw in a free-for-all. And surprise The Knight finds himself holding the short cut. Is it possible that Harry managed to break down the Knight the short straw intentionally? Now draweth cut, says he, for that is myn accord (840). A close eye whitethorn suggest some punning going on in that line Now draw the cut (short) straw, for it is my wish. The words cord and accord were both employ in Middle English, so we may be able to find some double meaning there as well. If indeed Harry wishes to give the Knight the cord, there are several interesting cases to think on a) the cord is simply the short straw, b) the cord is the hangmans rope, or c) the cord is a unit of measurement of wood cut for fuel. The hangmans rope would make for subtle sarcasm, but... ... immediate effects on the Miller, who cares not a bit for courtesy or order but only reckless lust. Hence, the Miller follows with a tale that Palamon could have appreciated, had he not known the ways of chivalry, b ut only those of lechery. Works Cited and ConsultedBenson, Larry D., ed. The Riverside Chaucer. capital of Massachusetts Houghton Mifflin, 1987.Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. The Norton Anthologyof English Literature. Seventh Edition. Two Volumes. Ed. M. H. Abrams. NewYork Norton, 2000.Cooper, Helen. The Structure of The Canterbury Tales. Athens U of Georgia P, 1983.Modern Critical Views Geoffrey Chaucer, Ed. Harold Bloom. New York Chelsea House Publishers, 1985.Spearing, A.C. Chaucer The Knights Tale. Cambridge Cambridge UP, 1995. Williams, David. The Canterbury Tales, A Literary Pilgrimage. Boston Twayne Publishers, 1987.