Geoffrey, William, Count Adhemar

A perk of being a dad is you get to watch a wider variety of movies. Recently I saw the movie “A Knight’s Tale”. The cable channel TBS shows it occasionally. Almost suitable, except for a brief bare butt of a man who was “robbed” and the violence of medieval tournament.

Two very interesting characters are Geoffrey Chaucer, the famous writer, and William Thatcher, a peasant squire in service to a knight.

On the road to a jousting tournament, Geoffrey wanders by (bare butt, striped of all his clothes). William asks “Why Sir, What are you doing?” He replies:

“Trudging.” “To trudge, the slow weary depressing yet determined walk of a man who has nothing left in his life except the impulse to simply soldier on”
---
“But you know on the brighter side, trudging does represent pride, pride, resolve, and faith in the good Lord Almighty – Please rescue me from my current tribulations."

As we follow the adventures of William, we learn that as a young child he watched the knights come to his town and exclaimed,

“Someday I’ll be a knight.”
A man in a stockade laughed and said: “A Thatcher’s (peasant’s) son, a knight, you might as well change the stars.”
“Can it be done Father, Can a man change the stars?”
“Yes, William, if he believes enough a man can do anything.”

When their knight died after a joust, William decides, he can stand in his place. “After all, how did the nobles become noble? They took it at the tip of a sword.”

Geoffrey comes along to provide forged Peyton’s of Nobility that will be needed for William to enter the jousts. We also see his gift of gab in stirring up the crowd adding to the jousting performance.

From there you follow the exploits of William as he proves his honor to a woman (Lady Jocelyn) who catches his eye and to the Prince of Wales, heir to the thrown, while the high champion knight (Adhemar Count of Anjou) resorts to cheating in an attempt to maintain his title at all costs.

When William encounters an excellent unknown Knight they tie, both breaking a Lance on each other. The unknown knight approaches, in truce, he reveals only to William that he is the Prince jousting under an assumed name.

He tells William, “I am through, (he is injured) but I have never not finished. I wish to keep my honor intact.”
William nods in understanding. The last Joust they approach and raise (tip) their Lances in mutual withdrawal.
Count Adhemar is confused, “Why didn’t he finish him”.
Lady Jocelyn remarks “He shows mercy”.
Count Adhemar retorts, “Then he shows his weakness, for that is all that mercy is.”

The movie has interesting metaphors,

• Geoffrey, stripped of all his clothes, trudging in desperation. Later, using his “performance skills” much as a lawyer performs for the court in an exaggerated, deceptive, acting performance. But in the end becoming a true friend of William.
• William, a source of unwavering faith to overcome his lot in life.
• Count Adhemar, the high champion, doing dishonor to his honorable title to keep it.
• The Prince who breaks tradition and recognizes and rewards true honor (at the end).

Recognize anyone you know?

It has some groovy tunes – Queen, BTO, David Bowie, AC/DC in a stark contrast to the period setting. But it works.