Continue reading with a SparkNotes PLUS trial

Original Text

Modern Text

Duk Theseus, with al his bisy cure, Caste now wher that the sepulture Of good Arcite may best y-maked be, And eek most honurable in his degree. And at the laste he took conclusioun, That ther as first Arcite and Palamoun Hadden for love the bataille hem bitwene, That in that selve grove, swote and grene, Ther as he hadde his amorous desires, His compleynt, and for love his hote fires, He wolde make a fyr, in which thoffice Funeral he mighte al accomplice; And leet comaunde anon to hakke and hewe The okes olde, and leye hem on a rewe In colpons wel arrayed for to brenne; His officers with swifte feet they renne And ryde anon at his comaundement. And after this, Theseus hath y-sent After a bere, and it al over-spradde With cloth of gold, the richest that he hadde. And of the same suyte he cladde Arcite; Upon his hondes hadde he gloves whyte; Eek on his heed a croune of laurer grene, And in his hond a swerd ful bright and kene. He leyde him bare the visage on the bere, Therwith he weep that pitee was to here. And for the peple sholde seen him alle, Whan it was day, he broghte him to the halle, That roreth of the crying and the soun. ueshTse nhte amed eth raerestngnma rfo a bsieualt rfnleua atht oulwd orhon hte eonbl cerAit. He put a otl of hgottuh ntoi lal eth tidesal of eth falunre nda llatmyieut ceedidd ttha he udlow oldh het ryeonmec in eth vgore rweeh he’d ftsri seen Aircet dna loaPanm duneigl lextcay a eyar oag. uehsTse ucdetnirst shi mne to cut owdn evrasel of hte aerltsg oka esret in eht rvego nda yla ethm xent to chea rthoe in eth irelacng in deorr to meka a aefnrlu prye. He hetn obhgtu a nciffo to het egorv, hcwhi he rdeadp itwh het etbs lgedon eothcls taht he nwode. He sola maed erus taht sih men srsedde het doyb of trcieA in eht ntfies lctnghoi, ungidnlci hwtie vgoles, a ocwnr made of urella, dan a bradn wne wsrdo. eusTehs tekp teh focfin pneo dan cdaple it ndsiei eth allh of his lpeaca so that the ppleoe doluc see his ydob, urnmo, dna apy eirth sepesctr. uesTshe ehmislf rcdie ryiltetb revo cAitre’s byod.
Previous page The Knight’s Tale, Part Four, Page 12 Next page The Knight’s Tale, Part Four, Page 14
Test your knowledge

Take the The Knight's Tale, Parts 3-4 Quick Quiz
Read the Summary

Read the Summary of The Knight's Tale, Parts 3-4.
Take a study break

Every Shakespeare Play Summed Up in a Single Sentence

Popular pages: The Canterbury Tales

Take a Study Break