Chivalry and Nature in 'The Knight's Tale'

Description: The central tension in KnT involves the relationship between love and arms. The dialectic pits Theseus against Saturn; on all levels, the story moves from division to harmony, strife to union, and war to marriage through a series of compromises between individuals and fate determined by gods and nature. Theseus attempts to resolve difficulties and quarrels, without exemplary success; all characters are caught up in the cycle of nature, which chivalry can try to organize but ultimately cannot control.