​​ The Canterbury tales in medieval England can appreciate the author’s technique in capturing the variations of human temperament and behavior. Its goal is to connect the concepts of how all of the various pieces of life connect to one another. In the book we can see how themes like violence, faith, loyalty and christianity work within our society through the use of fictional tales that adopt objects and traditions similar to that of history’s greatest stories. In this book the huge concern with the tense relationship between the human capacity to control and order life and the forces, internal and external, that resist or negate order. By putting the Knight between us and the world of Theseus, Palamon, Arcite, and Emelye, Chaucer invites us to see the conflict of order and disorder as a reflection of the Knight’s particular perspective on life. The “Knight’s Tale” thus becomes simultaneously a comment on the possibilities for order in human life and a comment on the tensions Chaucer perceived within the system of late medieval chivalry. 

In this reading, the significance of the “Knight’s Tale” lies in Theseus’ “perception of the order beyond chaos,” revealed in his final speech urging a distraught Palamon and Emelye to marry, despite their grief at the death of Arcite, and thus to conform to the scheme of the universe. When the earthly designs suddenly crumble, true nobility is faith in the ultimate order of all things. In this case,  both Palamon and Arcite have always remained loyal to their hearts and to their love for Emelye throughout the tale. All three people involved in the love triangle also fall back on a faith and a loyalty to a God. Emelye prays to Diana, while Palamon prays to Venus and Arcite to Mars. Their faith in these three deities will hopefully aid them in their battle. The battle between Palamon and Arcite even involves swordplay, thrashing, striking, and ultimately death. This violent display of affection is typical of men wooing women in medieval times. This story can be used as an example of the struggle between noble designs and chaos.  In the talde, As Arcite was declared the winner, a large earthquake trembled the grounds, frightening the horse Arcite was upon, and throwing him off. Arcite was killed by the fall. Before he died, however, he told Emelye that her future husband, Palamon, was the most worthy man she could marry. Theseus ordered the new wedding of Emelye and Palamon after a commemorative funeral for Arcite.

This story continues to throw light on the reality of loyalty and faith wherein god can take control over life as we know it at any point and that control is out of our hands. Faith and attention to oneself and to god can provide us with many virtues like love . “if you do this with strong desire and attention, full of swerness, a whole host of virtues will come to you: love, joy, peace and others, through which, later, every petition of yours will be answered in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, to Whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, is glory, and power, honor and worship, now and always, and for ever and ever. (Philokalia:  Nicephorus the Solitary, 34). Here however we come to the question of perspective and balance as all desires cannot be answered in the same way and death can be used as a positive note as it is considered a gateway to heaven. In this case the dilemma or crossroads is referring to the the Knight which interjects a question. Which is worse: Palamon, the imprisoned man who can still see Emelye or Arcite, the free man who cannot see his beloved? And whos prayers should god answe?