A Queer Theory Approach to Chaucer’s “The Knight’s Tale”

  13 December, 2018

A Queer Theory Approach to Chaucer’s “The Knight’s Tale” 

Through the use of the homosexual versus the homoerotic and the Gerardian Triangle, Chaucer's "The Knight's Tale" is a work that not only exemplifies the classic struggles of courtly love but when viewed under the lens of queer theory depicts the struggle between the homosexual and homoerotic. “The Knight’s Tale,” tells the story of Arcite and Palamon, who after being made captive and falling in love with Emilye, must battle to the death to win her hand. The conflict between the Knights is the subject of their similar sexualities. The conflict is furthered by Emily’s heteroerotic nature and passiveness. By evaluating “The Knight’s Tale” through the lens of Queer Theory, I have found that the Knights’ sexualities and desire for Emilye create a conflict due to its contrast to the homosexual nature of the other characters. This conflict goes beyond the conflict of the story through the use of parallel Gerardian triangles, and thus creates a conflict between the homosexual and the homoerotic.

While homosexual stands to not only mean the desire and sexual actions between members of the same sex, it also stands to signify the conflict derived between members of the same sex in lieu of sex. However, the homoerotic is the underlying sexuality that is not explicitly mentioned but implied. The sexualities of the King’s court border more closely with homoerotic, extending even to the King himself. While the King conquered Scythia, the land of the Amazons, and acquired his wife Hyppolyta, the homoerotic is demonstrated through his conquering of femininity in conquering Scythia. There is also his relationship with Duke Perotheus. It is said that “Theseus loved him tenderly” (3). The King’s relationship with the Duke is never stated as homosexual, however, their relationship shows homoerotic signs. 

The conflict begins when the court’s homoerotic tendencies are presented with the sexuality of the Knights. In contrast to the subtlety of sex in the King’s court, the Knights are outward with their feelings and longing for Emilye. The Knights introduce a new concept of sexualities to the courts, sexuality symbolized by the month of May. Throughout the text, all major events in the Knights’ sexuality occur in May. May, the month of fertility, is frequently referenced as a “lusty season” as well as in descriptions of Emilye (13). May is said to be “spent in Venus’ high service” thus directly assigning it to the Goddess of love and sexuality (13). The Knights wish to “get some of this green day” that is May (6). Though saying this, Arcite states his desire for sex. Emilye, when first seen by Palamon, is described to be “fresher than May with its new flowers” and thus the desire for May extends into the Knights’ desire for Emilye.

Emilye’s own homoerotic tendencies, as well as the conflict between the Knights in favor of Emilye, puts her at the peak of a Gerardian triangle. Emilye was brought up in the matriarchy of Scythia and thus was never exposed to sexual relations with a man. While Emilye has no true authority or power and is simply an object of the knights’ desires, her own conflict comes from the sexuality of the knights acting in contrast to her own homoerotic. She “desire[s] to be a maiden until [she] die[s]” and has no interest in the likes of men" (12). However, the sexualities of the Knights and their homosexual situation create a conflict for Emilye and it is not until Diana tells her that she must wed either Arcite or Palamons that she accepts this fate and subjects herself to “follow ever the favor of fortune” and “cast a friendly eye on” the victor, Arcite (15). By sending her affection to Arcite, her homoerotic tendencies are overwhelmed by the sexuality brought upon her by the Knights. 

Through Arcite and Palamon’s fixation on Emilye, Emilye not only loses her homoerotic tendencies but also develops into the representation of the sexual desire of men. Palamon begins his entrancement with Emilye by confusing her with Venus, the Goddess of love and sexuality. Whereas when Arcite sees her, he is so overwhelmed with his desire that he works against his cousin in the hope of acquiring Emilye’s hand. It is not through love but “with a lusty heart” that Palamon springs forth to challenge Arcite to battle in the woods (6). They both “bare so hot a love to Emilye” that they are not only willing to die, but to slay their own blood. The sexuality of the knights creates conflicts between themselves which causes their points in the Gerardian triangle to grow nearer, and the object of desire, Emilye, to become less relevant in her passiveness. The focus shifts from acquiring Emilye to defeating the other in battle.

The Gerardian Triangle between Arcite, Palamon, and Emilye is mirrored by a Gerardian Triangle amongst the Gods, furthering the conflict created by the Knights’ sexuality. The conflict is extended amongst the Gods as Venus and Mars argue over which knight is to win. Palamon seeks the aid of Venus in battle, praying that with the favor of the Goddess of love, he will be successful in winning the hand of Emilye. In contrast, Arcite seeks the favor of Mars hoping that the aid of the God of war will bring him strength in battle. The Gerardian Triangle between the Gods is between Mars and Venus seeking Zeus’s approval in this conflict, parellel to Arcite and Palamon seeking the approval of Emilye. 

Similar to Arcite and Palamon, Emilye seeks the aid of Gods to settle her conflict, however, she seeks the aid of Diana, the virgin Goddess of the hunt. She goes to the temple to Diana and prays, “Chaste goddess, you well know that I desire to be a maiden until I die, never do I wish to be a lover or wife” (12). While Palamon and Arcite seek to possess and wed Emilye, Emilye seeks the eternal virginhood she was brought up within Scythia. It is not until Diana dismisses Emilye’s wishes and told Emilye her fate was to be wed that Emilye accepted losing her virginity, and embraced the sexuality that the knights brought to King Theseus’s court. In Diana remaining uninvolved, she allowed Zeus to develop a solution to the Gerardian Triangle between himself, Venus, and Mars.

The Gods’ triangle is solved through Zeus having Arcite die and pleasing both Venus and Mars, Zeus. This allowed for the resolve of the Gerardian Triangle between Arcite, Palamon, and Emilye. While the Knights’ sexualities create conflict amongst themselves within their Gerardian Triangle, Emilye’s embrace of the homosexual over the homoerotic allowed for the plot conflict, as well as the conflict between the homosexual and the homoerotic to be resolved.  However, this conflict between embracing the homosexual or homoerotic prevails beyond the story. This is demonstrated not only by the censorship of heterosexual and homosexual behavior in Chaucer’s work from Middle England but also by censorship in popular media. Through society embracing the homosexual, we lose the need for the homoerotic. If the homosexual is not embraced above the homoerotic, the shock from blatant sexuality will lead to avoidable conflict.