Canterbury Tales Theseus Quotes

Whilom, as olde stories tellen us,
Ther was a duc that highte Theseus;
Of Atthenes he was lord and governour,
And in his tyme swich a conquerour
That gretter was there noon under the sonne.
Ful many a rich contree hadde he wonne;
What with his wysdom and his chilvalrie.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. At the beginning of his tale the Knight introduces us to his most powerful character, Theseus, the duke and leader of Athens. He has conquered many rich countries and we are told there is no one greater under the sun.

He conquered al the regne of Femenye,
That whilom was ycleped Scithia,
And weddede the queene Ypolita,
And broghte hire hoom with hym in his contree
With muchel glorie and greet solempnytee,
And eek hir yonge suster Emelye.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. After defeating the Amazons, Theseus takes their queen Hippolyta as his "prize" and marries her. He returns to Athens with Hippolyta and her young sister Emily amid much glory and great ceremony. This foreshadows how Emily will equally become the prize in a deadly battle for her hand between Palamon and Arcite.

And certes, if it nere to long to heere,
I wolde have toold yow fully the manere
How wonnen was the regne of Femenye
By Theseus and by his chivalrye;
And of the grete bataille for the nones
Bitwixen Atthenes and Amazones;
And how asseged was Ypolita,
The faire, hardy queene of Scithia.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. In the great battle between male-dominated Athens and the mythical Amazonian women, Athens wins the day under their leader Theseus, who besieged their strong queen Hippolyta and defeated her forces.

He was war, as he caste his eye aside,
Where that ther kneled in the heighe weye
A compaignye of ladyes, tweye and tweye,
Ech after oother clad in clothes blake;
But swich a cry and swich a wo they make
That in this world nys creature lyvynge
That herde swich another waymentynge

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. A group of weeping widows dressed in black clothes is kneeling on the road in front of Duke Theseus’s cavalcade as he returns to Athens. No living creature in the world is said to have heard such lamentation as from them.

And swoor his ooth, as he was trewe knyght,
He wolde doon so ferforthly his myght
Upon the tiraunt Creon hem to wreke
That al the peple of Grece sholde speke
How Creon was of Theseus yserved
As he that hadde his deeth ful wel deserved.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. When Duke Theseus rides victoriously into Athens after his great military successes, he is greeted at the gates by four weeping widows. They beg for his help to retrieve the bodies of their husbands, whom King Creon has refused to allow them bury. Theseus swears to avenge the ladies’ husbands by slaying Creon.

But shortly for to speken of this thyng,
With Creon, which that was of Thebes kyng,
He faught, and slough hym manly as a knyght
In pleyn bataille, and putte the folk to flyght;
And by assaut he wan the citee after,
And rente adoun bothe wall and sparre and rafter.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. As good as his word, Theseus fulfils his promise to the widows of the men killed by the Theban king Creon. He slays the king in battle, puts his army to flight, tears down the walls of Thebes and wins the city.

Thurgh-girt with many a grevous blody wounde,
Two yonge knyghtes liggynge by and by,
Bothe in oon armes, wroght ful richely,
Of whiche two Arcita highte that oon,
And that oother knyght highte Palamon.
Nat fully quyke, ne fully dede they were.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. After the destruction of Creon’s army, scavangers come across two young knights lying side by side with the same coat of arms, not fully alive and not fully dead. From the knights’ richly wrought coat of arms, the scavangers know they are from royal Theban blood. Arcite and Palamon are handed over to Theseus, who imprisons them with no hope of ransom.

For in this world he loved no man so,
And he loved hym als tendrely agayn.
So wel they lovede, as olde bookes sayn,
That whan that oon was deed, soothly to telle,
His felawe wente and soughte hym doun in helle.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. The bond of love and friendship between Theseus and Perotheus runs very deep that they would follow each other to hell! And it is about to have an important impact on how the tale develops. It turns out Perotheus also knows and loves Arcite and he intercedes on his behalf with Theseus.

Bitwixen Theseus and hym Arcite:
That if so were that Arcite were yfounde
Evere in his lif, by day or nyght, oo stounde
In any contree of this Theseus,
And he were caught, it was acorded thus,
That with a swerd he sholde lese his heed.
Ther nas noon oother remedie ne reed.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. After Theseus’s childhood friend Perotheus makes a plea on behalf of Arcite, Theseus agrees to release him from prison. But the strict terms are that Arcite must leave Athens forever and never return. If he is ever caught there again he will lost his head, he is warned.

Namoore, up peyne of lesynge of youre heed!
By myghty Mars, he shal anon be deed
That smyteth any strook that I may seen.
But telleth me what myster men ye been,
That been so hardy for to fighten heere
Withouten juge or oother officere,
As it were in a lystes roially.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Theseus comes on the scene of the bloody fight between Palamon and Arcite and objects to it because it is not properly conducted and supervised and there us no judge. He commands them to stop, on penalty of losing their heads.

He hath considered shortly, in a clause,
The trespas of hem bothe, and eek the cause,
And although that his ire hir gilt accused,
Yet in his resoun he hem bothe excused,
As thus: he thoghte wel that every man
Wol helpe hymself in love, if that he kan,
And eek delivere hymself out of prisoun.
And eek his herte hadde compassioun
Of wommen, for they wepen evere in oon.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Theseus attempts to balance the needs for justice and mercy, after he discovers Palamon and Arcite feuding over Emily. Though he is angry at their trespass, he understands that every man will help himself in love, and he also has compassion for the women. So he decides not to execute the knights and excuses them.

And softe unto hymself he seyde, "Fy
Upon a lord that wol have no mercy,
But been a leon, bothe in word and dede,
To hem that been in repentaunce and drede,
As wel as to a proud despitous man
That wol mayntene that he first bigan.
That lord hath litel of discrecioun,
That in swich cas kan no divisioun
But weyeth pride and humblesse after oon."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Theseus criticizes leaders who shows no mercy towards the law-breaker who is in repentence and fear but treats him the same as the proud and spiteful law-breaker. Such a lord considers pride and humility equal and has little sound judgment. He is explaining why he is extending mercy to Arcite and Palamon.

The god of love, a benedicite!
How myghty and how greet a lord is he!
Ayeyns his myght ther gayneth none obstacles.
He may be cleped a god for his myracles,
For he kan maken, at his owene gyse,
Of everich herte as that hym list divyse.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Theseus says that the god of love is mighty and all-powerful and can make every heart do whatever he pleases. He is referring to Arcite and Palamon, who have risked death and the wrath of Theseus for the love of a woman.

But all moot ben assayed, hoot and coold;
A man moot ben a fool, or yong or oold –
I woot it by myself ful yore agon,
For in my tyme a servant was I oon.
And therfore, syn I knowe of loves peyne
And woot hou soore it kan a man distreyne,
As he that hath ben caught ofte in his laas,
I yow foryeve al hoolly this trespaas.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Theseus wholly forgives Palamon and Theseus for breaking his rules, saying he was a servant of love himself a long time ago. As one who has often been caught in its snare, he says he knows of love’s pain and how sorely it can afflict a man.

Everich of you shal brynge an hundred knyghtes
Armed for lystes up at alle rightes,
Al redy to darreyne hire by bataille.
And this bihote I yow withouten faille,
Upon my trouthe, and as I am a knyght,
That wheither of yow bothe that hath myght –
This is to seyn, that wheither he or thow
May with his hundred, as I spak of now,
Sleen his contrarie, or out of lystes dryve,
Thanne shal I yeve Emelya to wyve.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Theseus proposes an alternative to Arcite’s and Palamon’s lawless duelling. A public tournament will take place in oine year’s time with each of the two knights amassing an army of one hundred knights. The winner will be the one who slays the other or takes him prisoner and will receive Emily’s hand in marriage.

Wroght on the wal, ful pitous to biholde,
The broken slepes, and the sikes colde,
The sacred teeris, and the waymentynge,
The firy strokes, and the desirynge
That loves servantz in this lyf enduren;
The othes that hir covenantz assuren;
Pleasance and Hope, Desir, Foolhardynesse,
Beautee and Youthe, Bauderie, Richesse,
Charmes and Force, Lesynges, Flaterye,
Despense, Bisynesse, and Jalousye.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. The Knight describes the temple of Venus, Roman goddess of love, which is by the gate of the enormous stadium constructed by Theseus for the tournament between Arcite and Palamon. At the temple is shown both the pleasures and woes of love – beauty and youth, lies and flattery, broken sleep, tears and fiery desire. Palamon prays to Venus for victory in the tournament.

No man therfore, up peyne of los of lyf,
No maner shot, ne polax, ne short knyf
Into the lystes sende or thider brynge;
Ne short swerd, for to stoke with poynt bitynge,
No man ne drawe, ne bere it by his syde.
Ne no man shal unto his felawe ryde
But o cours with a sharpe ygrounde spere;
Foyne, if hym list, on foote, hymself to were.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Theseus sets out the rues of the tournament before it starts. He doesn’t want any of the knights to die, so he bans all sharp weapons in the stadium and stipulates that just dull spears are to be used. However an exception is made for a knight who is unhorsed, he may use other weapons to defend himself.

And he that is at meschief shal be take
And noght slayn, but be broght unto the stake
That shal ben ordeyned on either syde;
But thider he shal by force, and there abyde.
And if so falle the chieftayn be take
On outher syde, or elles sleen his make,
No lenger shal the turneiynge laste.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Theseus is very keen on preventing loss of life during the tournament. So he lays down a rule that defeated knights are not to be killed but taken prisoner at the stake.

And to the lystes rit the compaignye,
By ordinance, thurghout the citee large,
Hanged with clooth of gold, and nat with sarge.
Ful lik a lord this noble duc gan ryde,
Thise two Thebans upon either syde,
And after rood the queene and Emelye,
And after that another compaignye
Of oon and oother, after hir degree.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Each person rides to the enormous stadium built for the jousting competition in an orderly fashion, in order of their rank. Everone knows their place at the enormous stadium built by Theseus.

And whan that Theseus hadde seyn this sighte,
Unto the folk that foghten thus echon
He cryde, "Hoo! namoore, for it is doon!
I wol be trewe juge, and no partie.
Arcite of Thebes shal have Emelie,
That by his fortune hath hire faire ywonne.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Theseus, saying that he is the impartial judge, calls a half to the jousting competition. He announces Arcite as the winner and says that he bh his fortune will have the hand of Emily which he has won fairly.

"Right as ther dyed nevere man," quod he,
"That he ne lyvede in erthe in some degree,
Right so ther lyvede never man," he seyde,
"In al this world, that som tyme he ne deyde.
This world nys but a thurghfare ful of wo,
And we been pilgrymes, passynge to and fro.
Deeth is an ende of every worldly soore."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Comforting words the wise and elderly Egeus to his son Theseus, who is momentarily helpless after Arcite’s death. He explains to his son that no man ever died that did not live on this earth to some extent, and no man ever lived that did not die. This world is a highway of woe and we are pilgrims passing to and fro with death the end of all worldly pain.

The Firste Moevere of the cause above,
Whan he first made the fair cheyne of love,
Greet was th’effect, and heigh was his entente.
Wel wiste he why, and what thereof he mente,
For with that faire cheyne of love he bond
The fyr, the eyr, the water, and the lond
In certeyn boundes, that they may nat flee.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Theseus explains why Emily must marry Palamon. "The First Moevere" is God, who has a plan and controls what may appear to be chance happenings in the world, says Theseus. The "fair cheyne of love" is what binds everything that exists – air, fire, water, earth – held together by divine power in an ordered and organized universe. Everything in its place in the world. Theseus says that Emily and Palamon have been mourning for too long, threatening to disrupt the fair chain of love, and they must marry and be happy to preserve the chain’s balance.

Thanne may men by this ordre wel discerne
That thilke Moevere stable is and eterne.
Wel may men knowe, but it be a fool,
That every part dirryveth from his hool,
For nature hath nat taken his bigynnyng
Of no partie or cantel of a thyng,
But of a thyng that parfit is and stable,
Descendynge so til it be corrumpable.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Theseus says that because of the order in creation and the universe, we can discern that the First Mover or God is an unchanging and eternal being. All things take their existence from God, who is perfect and stable. Natural things descend from the First Mover and become "corrumpable" (corruptible), or open to decay and death.

And therfore, of his wise purveiaunce,
He hath so wel biset his
That speces of thynges and progressiouns
Shullen enduren by successiouns,
And nat eterne, withouten any lye.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. By wise forethought God has so well established his plan for the world that he has set up a system of generation, Theseus says. Things endure by successions, and not eternally. So in order for society to continue, people have to reproduce. Theseus is showing that death is a part of God’s order and plan for the universe.

Of man and womman seen we wel also
That nedes, in oon of thise termes two –
This is to seyn, in youthe or elles age –
He moot be deed, the kyng as shal a page;
Som in his bed, som in the depe see,
Som in the large feeld, as men may see;
Ther helpeth noght; al goth that ilke weye.
Thanne may I seyn that al this thyng moot deye.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Theseus says that the one thing which all human beings share is that they must die, be they a king or a servant boy.

What maketh this but Juppiter, the kyng,
That is prince and cause of alle thyng
Convertynge al unto his propre welle
From which it is deryved, sooth to telle,
And heer-agayns no creature on lyve
Of no degree availleth for to strive.
Thanne is it wysdom, as it thynketh me,
To maken vertu of necessity,
And take it weel, that we may nat eschue;
And namely, that to us alle is due.
And whoso gruccheth ought, he dooth folye,
And rebel is to hym that al may gye.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Theseus turns inspirational speaker here on the question of death. He says it is outside of man’s control and in the hands of the god Jupiter, who causes all things to return to their own origin from which they are derived. He advises to make a virtue of necessity, saying anyone who complains or rebels against their fate is foolish.
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