#Economic impact of chivalry code code#

In response, he insists she stands by her word, saying “‘I rather would be stabbed than live to see / You fail in truth’” (251).Įven though it means losing the love of his life, Averagus accepts that Aurelius has won Dorigen, and she must stay honorable and live up to her principles. This ends badly for Dorigen when Aurelius hires a conjuror to “remove” the rocks, and she asks Averagus what she should do stand by her word, or claim she was not being serious. Near the conclusion of the story, Averagus returns from overseas to find Dorigen in an interesting tribulation in an act of temerity, she behested Aurelius that if he removes all the rocks from the shores of Briton, she would vouchsafe herself to him.

#Economic impact of chivalry code code#

Similarly, “The Franklin’s Tale” utilizes the Code of Chivalry as a way to give its characters a motivation to make certain choices, particularly featuring maintaining one’s principles. “The Knight’s Tale” features an element of The Code of Chivalry, never attacking an unarmed foe, which drives the plot forward and gives the characters a sense of honor to them, which forces them to make choices different than most others.

To make this choice seem even odder, if Arcita used this opportunity to kill Palamon, he would have then won Emily, but, by giving Palamon a fighting chance in their strife, he himself could be killed. Unfortunately, both have fallen in love with Emily, for one to kill the other means winning her, and Arcita holds the opportunity to finally kill Palamon, but instead, he tells him that “I shall bring arms and harnesses for us both/ And you shall have the right of choosing first” (56).įor Arcita to make this decision seems completely absurd to the reader, but this is simply the standard he must live up to according to the Code of Chivalry, which states that no man must attack an unarmed foe. Later in the story, Arcita and Palamon find each other in a field, Arcita having secretly worked as a menial in Athens, and Palamon having escaped prison. Not only this, but he also had already won the battle, giving him a clear right to kill any enemies remaining, but he makes a different decision because of the effect the Code of Chivalry has on him. Making the decision to spare the two demonstrates that Theseus clearly lives an exemplary life for followers of chivalry, because if he ended their pain and killed them, no one would have known, or thought any different of him. However, rather than simply killing them, Theseus makes an injunction that they “…should at once be sent/ To Athens, and gave orders they be kept/ Perpetual prisoners” (37). After defeating King Creon of Thebes in battle, Theseus finds two wounded Theban men-at-arms, Arcita and Palamon. In this tale, Theseus perfectly exemplifies living by the Code of Chivalry Theseus. In “The Knight’s Tale”, the element of the Code of Chivalry never attacking an unarmed foe plays a pivotal role in the advancement of the plot.

In The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, elements of the code of chivalry enhance the idea of honor by giving characters the motivation to make decisions contradictory to the ones most would. Contrasting from this, for “The Franklin’s Tale”, maintaining one’s principles is used.