Once More to the Grove: A Note on Symbolic Space in the Knight's Tale

Abstract

Upon death of Arcite, Theseus announces knight's funeral shall take place in that selve grove, swoote and grene, wherein Arcite and Palamoun / Hadden for love bataille hem bitwene (I 2860; 2858-59). 1 That grove exists at stage in narrative, however, creates a textual problem, since Theseus's earlier orders suggest grove was destroyed to make room for lists in which Arcite lost his life. Most readers accept concurrent existence of two different objects (the lists and grove) unquestioningly, but evidence demands we envision both places as occupying same physical space. It is easy and tempting to dismiss moment as a simple error, because to take it seriously raises challenging questions of textual consis- tency. If we read Knight's Tale, though, as being primarily concerned with chaos, then a solution to problem becomes possible. The exis- tence, destruction, and eventual reappearance of grove ultimately highlights Theseus's failure to resolve chaos caused by strife between two Theban cousins. We are not first to recognize manipulation of space, although point remains significantly underexplored. Peter H. Elbow, who briefly addresses textual complexity represented by lists and grove, theorizes adds to (the) focused shape of things by erecting both tournament and funeral upon virgin grove where Palamon and Arcite first fought. Chaucer is willing to contradict himself in of geographical centering. 2 Though Elbow's obser- vation is astute, his phrasing of this detail as a mere seems reductive. V. A. Kolve, who discusses problem of space in greater depth, acknowledges intentionality of Chaucer's choice. He finds contradiction technically irresolvable, but finally reads it as a symbolic sequence complementing the poem's major events in which order is created by means of an appalling disorder. 3 Though Kolve acknowledges disorder and chaos in tale (such as