The knight's tale in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales contains a lot of teachings and symbolism. If everyone were to follow the actions of the characters in this story the world would be a better place. .
The General Prologue begins with the twenty-nine different pilgrims arriving at the inn where they are to meet their host the next day. The host provides everyone with a feast and in the middle of it he announces his proposition to them. He blesses them for going to Canterbury then makes the statement, "You mean to talk and pass the time of day, for you would be as cheerful all alone as riding on your journey dumb as stone" (Lawall). His proposition was that each pilgrim had to tell two stories about old adventures and the pilgrim who told the stories that were the greatest in moral teaching and the most entertaining would have a huge supper at the expense of all the other pilgrims upon their return. Everyone liked this idea so the next morning before departing straws were drawn to see which pilgrim had to tell his/her story first. After all the straws were drawn, the knight was the one chosen to tell of his adventure first.
The fact that the knight happened to draw the short straw makes the reader wonder if the host did not tamper with the drawing of the straws. The reason for this argument is the fact that the knight is more liable to have an interesting story that will catch all the other pilgrim's attention at the beginning of the journey. This is why many critics do not think Chaucer has the knight telling his story first for no reason.
The knight's story begins with him telling of Duke Theseus the governor of Athens conquering the city of Thebes. Creon, ruler of Thebes, had two sons who lived through the battle and they were imprisoned for eternity since they would be the next in line to be ruler of Thebes. While in jail the two cousins fell in love with a girl named Emily who would walk by their cell every day.