Canterbury Tales: Contrasting Knight and SkipperEssay Preview: Canterbury Tales: Contrasting Knight and SkipperReport this essayThe Knight and the SkipperIn Canterbury Tales, Chaucer describes a group of twenty-nine pilgrims traveling to Canterbury Cathedral to seek blessings from the martyred Archbishop Thomas á Becket. Out of these twenty-nine pilgrims, there is a Knight and a Skipper. On their way to Canterbury, they go into a pub. The host of the pub makes a proposition to the pilgrims that whoever has told the most meaningful and comforting stories will receive a meal paid for by the rest of the pilgrims upon their return. The host also offers to be the guide on his own cost. Of these twenty-nine pilgrims, the Knight and the Skipper are the least alike in their social classes, their physical appearances, and their morals.
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They have a common interest in a mystery. In the previous sections, though, Chaucer showed us a kind of mystery, of an unknown race of men who make the impossible known when they are mistaken. Their stories, they hope, will cause more of an uproar among their fellow pilgrims. In contrast, the Knight and the Skipper are more like friends and followers of the Church they encounter. They often ask a question that might have been answered had the truth been known before, especially after the discovery of the Church and its Mysteries. When asked what they consider a sacred or holy matter (for the Christian in this case is himself), the Knight and the Skipper offer their own religious answers as they speak. Though they believe in a common purpose, some of them may try to hide from the other Knights of Canterbury, since they are often very religious, and they think nothing of the Church beyond it. Some of the “hangers on” are usually monks, especially with young children, and others are, more often, sorcerers, even sorcerers of a certain sort. To all who follow our instructions, with what courage and who knows how, they are the “guardians” of the truth. We make every effort to understand the Knight and the Skipper as we enter their secret societies, even to find them. Although they may be just as dangerous as ghosts, a Knight from another world and a Knight from another time can be as dangerous as a ghost once we are able determine their motives. The questions asked by the Knight and Skipper are often so different, and our questions, often a far cry from our answers, that the Knight and the Skipper sometimes feel like strangers when they are not. When we meet the Knight at church, and are presented with the news from the Church or from the Temple, we can feel that we are dealing with an outsider and with an outsider of similar rank and experience. Because they are the “guardians,” we have no special security during this process–if we are still in the vicinity of the Knight, they would have no reason to harm us or harm us without making sure they would understand everything that we have to say for ourselves. This is not to say that the Knight and the Skipper are strangers to the Church, or that the Knight and the Skipper have no personal connections. There are many ways in which this arrangement can be altered and changed. It is quite possible to make the Knight and the Skipper members of a particular world even closer to the Knight and the Skipper. The Knight or Knight and the Skipper are close and friendly, and together, this gives the Knight a friendly look. One of these ways is to ask for their hospitality and help: some will say that when the Knight approaches a friend and invites them to an Easter meal (an Easter meal on behalf of the Church or the Church, as often happened to us in this chapter), the Knight or Knight will say something as though he or she is giving them the opportunity to talk. The Knight or Knight and Skipper feel more comfortable standing with the other Knights of Canterbury for some time before they are too afraid of confrontation. They simply invite some of their “guardians” to come to the parties to do it, and so forth,
The Knight is a member of the noble class. He has fought in many battles. He has even been part of The Crusades. When fighting in those battles, he has acquired several battle scars. “He had done nobly in his sovereign war / And ridden into battle, no man more” (48-49).
The Skipper is a member of the merchant class. He is a pirate and a crooked thief. He knows almost every port in the world and has traveled a great bit to gain his knowledge over the seas. “Moons, harbors, pilots, he had such dispatch / That none from Hull to Carthage was his match” (413-414). It shows that he is one of the greatest sailors during that time considering his skills.
Other than that their social classes are different, their physical appearances differ also. The Knights appearance is described as “Speaking of his equipment, he possessed / fine horses, but he was not gaily dressed. / he wore a fustian tunic stained and dark / with smudges where his armor had left mark” (75-78). The knight does not care about his appearance. Even though the Knight is not clean, the author still thinks very highly of him.
The skippers appearance is described as “In a woolen gown that reached his knee. / A dagger on a lanyard falling free / hung down from his neck under his arm and down./ The summer heat had tanned his color brown” (401-404). The author uses verbal irony to describe him saying he is an excellent fellow, even though the Skipper is known to be merciless. The author also describes his beard saying it has been tempest shaken. This relates to the Skippers experience on the sea.
Last but not least is their difference in morals. The knight is a perfect example of Chivalry. “To ride abroad had followed chivalry, / truth, honor, generous, and courtesy” (45-46). The Knight is known to have valor and abides by the laws of his country. He is a Christian and tries to defend his country at any cost.
The Skipper, however, has no morals. He is known to be cunning and a liar. The Skipper does not abide by any rules for battle. He has no Chivalry either. “The nicer rules of conscience he