THE KNIGHT’S TALE

Theseus, king of Athens, after conquering the Amazons and marrying their queen Hippolyta, meets (on the return journey to Athens) a group of young women dressed in black, who beg him to release their kingdom from the Creon tyrant, saying that they are all widows because the Creon killed their husband.

Without hesitation, Theseus goes to Thebes where he defeats Creon, conquers the city and meets two cousins, Arcite and Palamone, both soldiers in Creon’s service, among the rubble of the battle. Theseus therefore decides to imprison them and take them to Athens.

At point, from their prison, the two knights see Theseus’ sister-in-law, Emilia, pass by, and both fall in love with her.

Thanks to the intervention of a friend, Arcite is freed, but banished from Athens. Palamone goes mad with despair, as he was afraid that his cousin might get an army with which to conquer the city and marry Emilia.

Arcite, meanwhile, decides to return to Athens in disguise and becomes a page at the court of Emilia.

Palamone, escaped from prison thanks to a friend, takes refuge in the woods, with the intention of waiting for the night to go to Thebes and come back to Athens with an army. Here, however, accidentally meets Arcite and between the two a dispute breaks.out for the beautiful Emilia (which ends with a duel).

Theseus, who was riding on horseback in the vicinity of that forest, understands the love of the two for Emilia and proposes a tournament between the two knights: in one year including enlisting 100 knights each, and then using them in a clash between the two. The final prize would have been Emilia’s hand. After a year, the two with their armies meet in Athens, ready to fight, each seen in a different banner: Arcite exchanges the banner of the god Mars, god of war, while Palamone treats that of Venus, goddess of the love.

Arcite wins, but the goddess Venus, furious with defeat, provokes an earthquake that makes Arcite’s horse frighten and rear, causing it to fall. Arcite, mortally wounded, calls Emilia and Palamone next to him and asks them to marry and live happily, after which they die staring at their beloved’s eyes. After great ceremonies to honor the young man’s death, Palamone and Emilia get married according to

Arcite’s will.