The knight's tale

The first and most stately tale of The Canterbury Tales, told by the Knight. Set in ancient Greece, it follows two cousins, Palamon and Arcite, imprisoned by Duke Theseus of Athens, who both fall in love with the same woman, Emelye. Their friendship turns to rivalry. The tale weighs love, chivalry, fate and the role of the gods, and sets the tone against which later pilgrims reply.