The Knight's Tale recap

After Theseus conquers Thebes, the wounded cousins Palamon and Arcite become his prisoners in Athens. Both see Emelye, sister of Theseus's wife, and fall in love with her, turning their friendship into rivalry. Arcite is released into exile but returns in disguise; Palamon later escapes, and Theseus interrupts their duel. He orders them to return with companies of knights for a formal tournament whose winner may marry Emelye. Palamon asks Venus for love, Arcite asks Mars for victory, and Emelye unsuccessfully asks Diana to remain unmarried. Arcite's side wins, but he is thrown from his horse after the contest and dies of his injuries, commending Palamon to Emelye. After mourning and an elaborate funeral, Theseus arranges the surviving pair's marriage. Palamon and Emelye live together in harmony, reconciling the competing divine promises and politically joining Thebes with Athens.

Theseus, duke of Athens, returns from conquering the Amazons with his new wife Hippolyta and her sister Emelye. A group of widows stops his procession and begs him to act against Creon, ruler of Thebes, who has refused burial to their dead husbands. Theseus defeats Creon and restores the bodies. Two Theban cousins, Palamon and Arcite, are found alive but gravely wounded and are taken to Athens as permanent prisoners. From their tower, both see Emelye in a garden and fall in love with her, destroying their former accord. Theseus later releases Arcite at the request of Perotheus, but only on condition of perpetual exile from Athens. Each cousin believes the other has the advantage: Palamon remains near Emelye but imprisoned, while Arcite is free but forbidden to see her.

Arcite suffers in exile until a dream prompts him to return to Athens in disguise. Calling himself Philostrate, he enters Emelye's service and eventually gains Theseus's favor. Years pass before Palamon escapes his prison and hides in a grove. There he overhears Arcite lamenting his secret identity and love, and the cousins agree to settle their rivalry in a private duel. Theseus discovers them while hunting with Hippolyta and Emelye. He first condemns both to death, but the women's pleas move him to mercy. Instead, Theseus orders each knight to return after a year with one hundred companions for a regulated tournament. The side that overcomes the other will secure Emelye for its leader, converting the secret feud into a public contest.

Theseus constructs a magnificent arena with temples dedicated to Venus, Mars, and Diana. Palamon and Arcite return with great companies, including the kings Lycurgus and Emetreus, while Athens fills with spectators. On the night before the tournament, Palamon prays to Venus not simply for victory but to gain Emelye's love. Emelye prays to Diana to remain unmarried and devoted to chastity; signs from the altar tell her that this cannot be granted and that she must marry one of the two knights. Arcite asks Mars for victory and also receives a favorable sign. The divine promises seem incompatible, but Saturn assures Venus that Palamon will ultimately have Emelye. Theseus establishes rules intended to make the tournament decisive without needless killing.

The two companies fight until Palamon is captured and removed from the field, making Arcite the formal victor and future husband of Emelye. The conflicting prayers are resolved through disaster: a supernatural disturbance frightens Arcite's horse, which throws and crushes him during the victory celebration. Physicians cannot save him. As he dies, Arcite praises Palamon and asks Emelye to accept his cousin if she is ever to marry. Theseus oversees a grand funeral, and Athens mourns. After several years, he calls Palamon and Emelye together and reflects on the order that governs life, death, and change. He recommends their marriage both as a personal settlement and as a bond between Athens and Thebes. They wed and live in lasting love, so Arcite received victory in arms while Palamon finally received the marriage promised by Venus.

Arcite is declared the tournament's victor, but a supernatural disturbance frightens his horse and throws him to the ground. His internal injuries cannot be healed. Before dying, he acknowledges Palamon's worth and asks Emelye to consider Palamon as a husband. Athens gives Arcite an elaborate funeral, and a long period of mourning follows. Years later, Theseus summons Palamon and Emelye and argues that human beings must accept the order and necessity governing mortal change. He proposes a marriage that will also unite Athens and Thebes. Emelye and Palamon wed, and the tale closes by saying that their life together is marked by enduring love and peace. The outcome fulfills Venus's promise to Palamon even though Mars granted Arcite victory in the contest.