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From: Stephanie Walsh
Date: 10/6/2009
Time: 9:14:22 PM
Remote Name: 207.118.243.47
I think that that Chaucer is being quite clever and poking fun at the supposed world of the Knight. I agree with the two above posters regarding the humor that falling for a lady in such horrible conditions as a dungeon-type jail cell. It really brings an amusing image to my head. Also, the fact that they both fell /in love/ with this woman just by seeing her really makes me doubt whether it is love at all. In all reality, it is probably just lust. And it could be that one or both does not even want Emily as bad as they claim simply because of the rivalry they feel towards one another. The depictions of the temples were scary and seemed slightly mythological or supernatural. I think that the fact that they were both promised they would get what they requested is amusing to and reminds me of the old saying 'be careful what you wish for...you just might get it'. Palamon prays at the temple of Venus (which we know from Roman mythology to be the goddess of love) to have Emily as his wife. Whereas Arcite prays at the temple of Mars (the god of war) to win the battle, never stating that he also get the prize at the end. They both were granted their wishes in the end. Arcite wins the battle, but ultimate dies, forfeiting his prize of Emily's hand in marriage, Palamon gets his wish and is married to Emily, and perhaps Emily gets her wish and is married to the one that truly loves her. Which makes me think that perhaps my hypothesis that both of them do not love her as much as they say and it was more about the rivalry is true. The more I think about it, the more this makes extreme sense to me...it also could account for why Arcite prayed to win the battle.