Unexpected Details

The Knight's Tale finale is one that blends small details of surprise in an expected tragedy. It had been foreshadowed in many ways that the story wouldn't end in a gay manner, but the author manages to enhance the text with small changes on the expected, maintaining the general mood of a tragedy. An example of such is Theseus, who's behavior constantly illustrates the point. The reader expected a war for the one love, a massacre in the name of Emelye, but to our surprise the noble Theseus commands that there be no killing and the battle by simply a competition free of blood.

"The lord has of his great sound judgment

Considered that it would be destruction

To gentle blood to fight in the manner

Of mortal battle now in this undertaking.

Wherefore, to arrange matters so that they shall not die,

He will modify his previous plan.

No man therefore, upon punishment of loss of life,

No sort of arrow, nor battle-axe, nor short knife

Send into the lists or bring there;

Nor short sword, to stab with piercing point,

May no man neither draw, nor bear it by his side.

And no man shall ride at his opponent

More than one course with a sharply honed spear;

Let him thrust, if he wishes, on foot, to defend himself.

And he who is at a disadvantage shall be taken

And not slain, but be brought unto the stake (2537-2552)."

It is so that as we read our way to the end we know where we are trying to get to, but are in constant surprise of how we get there. It is not until the last line that we may say we concluded the plot. I find this extremely gratifying to a certain level. This is so because I am not very fond of this sort of stories, and where they not constantly challenging my expectations, I would find myself questioning their value.