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Teaching The Canterbury Tales: The Knight's Tale

The Middle Age's rom com.

  • Activities: 13
  • Quiz Questions: 75

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"The Knight's Tale" is the story of two knights from Thebes who fall in love with the same woman, a princess of Athens named Emily. Since the two pals have apparently sworn to support each other in everything, each one's love for Emily does not go over well. They need to be willing to do anything to win her, which includes breaking their promise to one another.

Or does it?

That's precisely the question this tale wants your students to think about. And if you need help understanding the possible consequences of your choice, just turn to our guide.

In this guide, you'll find

  • a chance to speak up for the silent Emily.
  • a rapid-fire quiz game to help get them completely prepped for any essay or test about this tale that comes their way.
  • an examination of "courtly love" in the tale and in modern society. Promise, it's more fun than it sounds.

The age-old dilemma: whether to suck it up and hang on to our friendship, or say goodbye and date the guy or girl of our dreams. Battle through it all with our guide to "The Knight's Tale."

What's Inside Shmoop's Literature Teaching Guides

Shmoop is a labor of love from folks who love to teach. Our teaching guides will help you supplement in-classroom learning with fun, engaging, and relatable learning materials that bring literature to life.

Inside each guide you'll find quizzes, activity ideas, discussion questions, and more—all written by experts and designed to save you time. Here are the deets on what you get with your teaching guide:

  • 13 – 18 Common Core-aligned activities to complete in class with your students, including detailed instructions for you and your students.
  • Discussion and essay questions for all levels of students.
  • Reading quizzes for every chapter, act, or part of the text.
  • Resources to help make the book feel more relevant to your 21st-century students.
  • A note from Shmoop’s teachers to you, telling you what to expect from teaching the text and how you can overcome the hurdles.

Want more help teaching Teaching The Canterbury Tales: The Knight's Tale?

Check out all the different parts of our corresponding learning guide.



Instructions for You

Objective: For most of "The Knight's Tale," Emily exists only as an object of desire. She's basically just a beautiful noblewoman whom Palamon and Arcite admire from afar, then fight over. Even though both knights say she's the cause of all their pain and suffering, she hardly knows who they are for most of the story. She's also really pretty much silent, as far as characters go.

Students will choose a moment in "The Knight's Tale" when Emily is conspicuously silent, and write a creative response from her point of view. Each student will have the opportunity to draft, revise, and present the finished piece to the rest of the class. Students should be allowed anywhere from three days to one week to complete this assignment; otherwise, the project should take approximately two class periods.

Materials Needed: a copy of the text and/or our Shmoop summary page

Step 1: Even though today's all about silence, we're hoping your students will open their traps to discuss how it plays a role in "The Knight's Tale." Begin with a brief discussion of moments in Chaucer's text when we expect Emily to speak, respond, or have thoughts, but doesn't. Depending on your time constraints, you can have your students identify these moments themselves—or you can make a list of them yourself and distribute them to the class to facilitate discussion.

Step 2: Have the class read and then discuss the moment when Emily is allowed to speak: her prayer to Diana. What does she desire? What's her reaction to Diana's response to her? How do your students predict she'll act? Give them about ten minutes to talk it out.

Step 3: Ask students to brainstorm some ideas about Emily's silence. Does the text give any clues as to why she gets so few lines, even though she's the focus of pretty much all of the dramatic events that take place? Does she act the way they expect her to as the text goes on?

Step 4: Your students should have a solid list of moments when Emily is conspicuously silent. Ask them to choose one, and write out what Emily's lines or thoughts might be at this moment. They can:

  • Choose to write a dialogue between Emily and another character.
  • Write her thoughts on her situation, or on Palamon, Arcite, or Theseus.
  • Write another prayer to a god or goddess.
  • Show her acting or responding in some way to her situation.

This should be a creative essay (to be written from Emily's point of view), and should be at least 250 words in length.

Step 5: Give students the opportunity to write and revise their work. Then, set aside a class period for them to share their writing with the class, giving sound to silence (whattup, Garfunkel).

Instructions for Your Students

For most of "The Knight's Tale," Emily exists only as an object of desire. She's basically just a beautiful noblewoman whom Palamon and Arcite admire from afar, then fight over. Even though both knights say she's the cause of all their pain and suffering, she hardly knows who they are for most of the story. She's also really pretty much silent, as far as characters go.

Today you'll choose a moment in "The Knight's Tale" when Emily is conspicuously silent, and write a creative response from her point of view. You'll have the opportunity to draft, revise, and present the finished piece to the rest of the class.

Let's do this.

Step 1: Even though today's all about silence, we're hoping you'll open your traps to discuss how it plays a role in "The Knight's Tale." Teach will begin with a brief discussion of moments in Chaucer's text when we expect Emily to speak, respond, or have thoughts, but she doesn't.

Step 2: Read and then discuss the moment when Emily is allowed to speak as a class: her prayer to Diana. What does she desire? What's her reaction to Diana's response to her? How do your students predict she'll act? You've got about ten minutes to talk it out.

Step 3: Brainstorm some ideas about Emily's silence. Does the text give any clues as to why she gets so few lines, even though she's the focus of pretty much all of the dramatic events that take place? Does she act the way they expect her to as the text goes on?

Step 4: You should have a solid list of moments when Emily is conspicuously silent. Choose one, and write out what Emily's lines or thoughts might be at this moment. You can:

  • Choose to write a dialogue between Emily and another character.
  • Write her thoughts on her situation, or on Palamon, Arcite, or Theseus.
  • Write another prayer to a god or goddess.
  • Show her acting or responding in some way to her situation.

This should be a creative essay (to be written from Emily's point of view), and should be at least 250 words in length.

Step 5: After you're finished writing and revising your piece, your teacher will set aside a class period for you to share with the rest of your class, giving sound to silence (whattup, Garfunkel).