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Plot in The Canterbury Tales

Plot Examples in The Canterbury Tales:

The Knight’s Tale

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"Emily loved him so tenderly,..."   (The Knight’s Tale)

The Knight creates a neat ending for this story. Emily loves Palamon, and Palamon serves her as a chivalrous knight and husband should. Any strife, disagreement, or anger is now absent from the story. This is the equivalent ending of the modern day "and they lived happily ever after," which suggests that no future problems will arise.

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"when a thing is destined, it must be)..."   (The Knight’s Tale)

In other words, if something is destined to happen, it cannot be altered. This is a belief that goes back to early Greek culture and is often called the "will of the gods." Notice that unlike Arcita's escape from prison, which was willed by a man, Pirithous, Palamon's escape is willed by the gods.

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"play at dice..."   (The Pardoner’s Tale)

Notice that the incentive for murdering their friend and stealing his money has no greater aim than "playing at dice." In other words, the men plot to murder in order to continue engaging in their vices. Their actions are not only immoral, but also justified by immoral motivations.

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