Later in the story, Arcita and Palamon find each other in a field, Arcita having secretly worked as a menial in Athens, and Palamon having escaped prison. Not only this, but he also had already won the battle, giving him a clear right to kill any enemies remaining, but he makes a different decision because of the effect the Code of Chivalry has on him. Making the decision to spare the two demonstrates that Theseus clearly lives an exemplary life for followers of chivalry, because if he ended their pain and killed them, no one would have known, or thought any different of him. However, rather than simply killing them, Theseus makes an injunction that they “…should at once be sent/ To Athens, and gave orders they be kept/ Perpetual prisoners” (37). After defeating King Creon of Thebes in battle, Theseus finds two wounded Theban men-at-arms, Arcita and Palamon. In this tale, Theseus perfectly exemplifies living by the Code of Chivalry Theseus. In “The Knight’s Tale”, the element of the Code of Chivalry never attacking an unarmed foe plays a pivotal role in the advancement of the plot. In The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, elements of the code of chivalry enhance the idea of honor by giving characters the motivation to make decisions contradictory to the ones most would. Contrasting from this, for “The Franklin’s Tale”, maintaining one’s principles is used.
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