The Canterbury Tales: The Knight's Tale Fate and Free Will Quotes Page 5
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| Quote #13 […] 'Doghter, stynt thyn hevynesse. |
Diana's answer to Emily's prayer confirms what we've suspected all along, which is that the gods know what's going to happen. Diana's reference to an "eterne word" suggests that an even higher power than the gods is at work here. This could be seen as some version of fate, or the "Firste Moevere" Theseus refers to in his final speech.
| Quote #14 'The Firste Moevere of the cause above |
Throughout "The Knight's Tale," many characters have complained about their fates. Here, Theseus advises everyone to take comfort, because God has a plan. Even though we might not know what it all means, Theseus implies, we can trust that God knows "why, and what therof he mente." His speech is thus the perfect capstone to all the hand-wringing about fate that's occurred in the tale.
| Quote #15 'What maketh this, but Juppiter the kyng, |
Theseus believes death is simply God converting the living back to the essence from which they were derived. Death is a part of life. It's mankind's fate, which he has no business trying to avoid. This fatalism may be comforting in a way, but it also raises the question of just how much someone ought to accept responsibility for the events of his life.
