No One Crusades like the Knight

Though I have not yet read up more on him, I feel the need to make a few comments regarding the 'Knight' of "The Canterbury Tales". Someone in class (I forgot who. Sorry!) mentioned the possibility of the speaker's comments on the Knight being skewed or biased. Considering that this text is being done through, in effect, two narrators, I think the possibility of the Knight being not as 'parfit' as we might think is a perfectly reasonable prediction.

Just who is the Knight? Well, from the passage that we were given in class (lines 43 to about 79), he's every definition of a perfect gentleman. He's been in multiple crusades (we'll ignore how physically impossible that is), been to dozens of places across the world, loves chivalry, and has a good reputation on his shoulders for being the best Knight who ever was.

Before anyone cries 'Mary Sue!', allow me to make note of another well-known character who shares a few similarities with the Knight.

(Taken from entertainmentexcess.com)

Most of us remember Gaston from Disney's Beauty and the Beast, right? He's the town hero! Always swooping in and herding around the simple-minded townsfolk, as well as having a number of copy-pasted ladies fawning over him where ever he goes. He's strong, completely illiterate (as shown), has a reputation for being 'the best', probably has traveled about and even has his own mead hall! By all appearances, he's a perfect man of his society, just like the Knight.

Of course, we all know that isn't 'really' the case. Underneath his super-perfect exterior, Gaston is a misguided (albeit sexist and spoiled) guy who has so much pride that even Beowulf would blush. He's a parody of the archetypal 'Hero' completely lampooned throughout the film.

It's characters like Gaston that make me suspicious of characters like the Knight, this seemingly perfect individual whose just going out on his religious pilgrimage. As we keep reading on about him, I know that I'll be watching for any possible 'tics' in his personality, those little hints that might let on that he's not as noble as we might assume. Maybe he's a total jerk himself (despite the speaker mentioning his lack of 'vileinye' (70)), or maybe just misguided and simple-minded. Maybe I'm just being cynical.