A-Z: "K" is for The Knight in The Canterbury Tales

The A-Z challenge letter is "K" and today I'm discussing The Knight in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.   As previously mentioned, the Knight was the first traveler to begin his tale about Emelye.  They actually drew straws to see who would go first.  To think they've been drawing straws since that long if not longer.  Anyway, the Knight's has this noble quality and presence that commands respect.  His military career was extensive which that alone makes him revered by all.  

His laid back nature and his need for romantic happy tales may come from all the fighting he's endured in his life. Perhaps he witnessed too much death and hate and wanted to focus on peace? I don't know but it's clear the Host admires him.   When your reading about him, you get an immediate sense that he's this chivalrous character much like a knight of the round table.  What I find interesting about him was if you wrote a character like him by today's literary standards, he would be labeled flat. Who wants to read about perfect characters? NO ONE. 

The truth is with the Knight you know there's more to him. He fought in the Crusades for Christ sake (not to mention hoards of other wars) and probably has more blood on his hands than any of the travelers.  With the many translations of this tale, its hard to know exactly why Chaucer portrayed The Knight as a perfect seasoned warrior with a gentle spirit. That said, his tale was entertaining to say the least.

Interesting fact, which I didn't know was Shakespeare and John Fletcher co-wrote and adaptation of Chaucer's The Knight's Tale with The Two Noble Kinsmen.

What about you?  Are you a fan of the Knight?  Are you happy its Friday? 

Mina B.

A-Z: "E" is for Emelye from The Knight's Tale

Day 5 of A-Z here  "E" is for Emelye from The Knight's Tale in the Canterbury Tales.  

When Theseus married Hippolyta her young sister, Emelye, moved with her to her new home. Over time her beauty bloomed in full force and there were two brother/cousin prisoners (Palamon and Arcite) locked in a tower that spied and fell in love with her from afar.  They argued over who had the right love this incredible beauty, but then realized their arguments were futile since they were in jail. They agreed finally to both be in love with her. One day Theseus grants Alcrite his freedom but was exiled to areas not ruled by Theseus. After leaving, he became depressed because he didn't see his lovely vision Emelye. He cursed the world and longed for his old prison cell. Years go by with plotting on both sides to win the fair maiden as a wife. Neither have spoken and do not know each other's plans for Emelye. The long and the short of it is, the brothers/cousins meet and fight until Theseus appears with his wife and Emelye in tow. He empathizes with both their plights and decrees they each take 50 men and battle for her in judicial knight tournament. The winner would marry Emelye. Both Palamon and Arcite fought valiantly until the ultimate victor revealed.  The back and forth between the two was neverending.  Guess who won Emelye's hand? It seems like all these tales center around a fair maiden huh?  Whew...thank the gods that's over.

Healthy Writers Club by Shallee McArthur
I returned to my normal workout which felt great.  It really is a stress reliever for me. I try to rest on the weekend and do mostly lunges.  Oh those hurt like the dickens.  Anyway, I thought I'd share with you an iPhone app (Workout Mix) that I use for working out.  I like it because the music is upbeat and during the music sessions the DJ's voice chants some encouragement .."You can do it."  or "Go harder."  Here's a thought.  Wouldn't it be great if he cheered me on when I'm writing.  *sigh*

Friday with Fred

This is Fred's intimidating pose.  He tends to wear this expression more frequently since Spike.  I keep telling him he'll always be number one and then I give him a carrot. :)

How was your first week of A-Z?  I'm so happy for the weekend.  Have a good one.

Mina B.