Arcite And Palamon Essay

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Recommended: Chaucers attitudes of courtly love

Chaucer uses Arcite and Palamon to identify himself as a “liberal humanist” by using love against the two characters. Emphasizing on love he demonstrates that love is powerful than war and violence. He unravels the story with love because the emotions can bring human down to their knees. Arcite and Palamon are no longer knights of war or sympathizer of violence but are prisoners of love. Individuals of nobility, peasantry, or religion who do not understand love will say is a distraction for the knights because it clouds the mind of other issues that is deemed more important than to win over Emelye. Arcite and Palamon are intrigue of Emelye they feel as Emelye is causing them injuries. As Chaucer implies “That, if Palamon was sorely wounded, /Arcite is hurt as much as he, or more/The fresh beauty slays me suddenly” (1115-1118). Emelye’s beauty is so profound that both Arcite and Palamon feel as they are being hurt by her looks instead of being hurt in battle. The two knights portray Emelye sex appeal as agonizing pleasure. The wound and hurt they describe can be a good sensation because they are not injured, but their deep thoughts of Emelye makes them feel a tingle inside of them. …show more content…

As Chaucer points out “But rather thou shouldest truly help me/In every case, as I shall help thee/This was thy oath, and mine also, certainly;” (1137-1139). Palamon is asking for peace to Altice, Palamon wants Arcite to help him instead of challenge him over Emelye. Palamon is aware that Emelye caught the eye of Arcite too, but it was Palamon who observed her first. Instead of going against each other for her attention, he wants Altice to understand that is him that must have

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