Narration in "The Knight's Tale" and "The Squire's Tale" of Canterbury Tales
"The Knight's Tale" and "The Squire's Tale" demonstrates the power of narration in Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales." Chaucer wanted to illustrate through the characters of the knight and squire stereotypical characteristics of each that make one remarkable, and the other, only ordinary in the eyes of people. In the character of the knight, Chaucer paints a picture of an individual who possesses bravery, gallantry, and commands respect from everyone. This is reflected in the knight's tale, wherein clarity and articulateness are apparent in him, in the same way that his characters, Arcita and Palamon. Through the two knights' characters, the knight was able to show the chivalry and respect knights are known for: Arcita is known for his rationality and knowledge, while Palamon is remarkable for his romantic and brave nature as a knight. Throughout the narration of his tale, the knight establishes the personalities of his character and the plot of the story clearly, holding the interest of his audience until the end of the tale. Brevity is also preserved to prevent his audience from losing their interest in listening to the knight's tale, as illustrated in the following passage: "The remnant of the tale is long enough. I will not hinder any, in my turn; Let each man tell his tale, until we learn Which of us all the most deserves to win..." Compared with his father, the knight, the squire pales in comparison to his father's narrating skills and ability to entertain an audience. In his tale, the squire expresses his insecurity over his inability to speak with brevity, clarity, and articulateness while making, at the same time, his tale appear more interesting to his audience. This insecurity is reflected in his claim that, "But to describe to you all her beauty, it lies not in my tongue nor my knowing; I dare not undertake so high a thing. My English is quite insufficient for What must require a finished orator... I am none such, I must speak as I can..."
But while it is true that he loved the funny side of life, he was also quite genuine and sincere in his purpose to expose the superficialities of social roles. "If we look at the whole corpus of his work, we see his tragic poems all interrupted, unfinished, or transfigured into celestial comedy" (Garbaty173). Chaucer unlike some tragedy masters of his time was not too concerned with gloom and sadness
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