I was very interested in Chaucer's depiction of character in the Middle Ages with regard to the shift from a time of war to a time of new humanism, romance, and the dawn of the Renaissance. I think that the Knight and Squire juxtapose each other to personify the change in society within the work. At the time, there was still a large significance placed on chivalry and knighthood, and in the General Prologue it seems that Chaucer is reflecting on shift in that formerly steadfast idea. The Knight is depicted as a brave warrior, he fought battles for religion and was a noble warrior, dedicated to service. He was a symbol of the old world and the depiction of knighthood that had come from generations before - sort of like Beowulf, and the idea a warrior would rather die than live as a coward. This idea of chivalry, however, begins to shift with regard to the next generation, which is represented by the Squire. He was a young man with many military achievements, training to do what his father does, but within him we see a carefree element that has not been depicted in the feudal class before. He is strong, sturdy, intelligent, and capable, but not nearly as sober, serious, or dedicated as we are led to believe that his father has been. The Squire is a knight of luxury, merry-making, and romance. He embodies less of the temper of the age of French war, he is not hung up on illusions of grand violence and war, but instead is presented as a young, romantic man with many dimensions. His capabilities don't end at his sword; he delights himself in love, song, and dance.
The realism with which the Squire is portrayed allows the reader to see that humans are complex, with dimensions, virtues, and vices of their own. That they are types, belonging to a particular estate or class, but they are also individuals. I think this shift away from rigid class stereotypes and towards humanism is particularly significant in Chaucer's work -- it is here that we first begin to see many different characters interacting and depicted as more than, or separate from, their social class or outward appearance.
I agree with this, wholeheartedly. I think that all of the stories, as a whole- depict this shift into a more realistic, crude depiction of classes and their complexities. I also think that you could look at this as a shift not only from the genre of epic poems into realism, but also skirting past the Arthurian romance genre. Chaucer was obviously not writing an Arthurian fairytale- but just like the hints of epic heroism, we also see hints of the nobility and honor of a true romance. The Knight represents a combination of the older styles of epic poetry and heroism- while the Squire embodies the drama and romance of an Arthurian knight. And on top of this all- Chaucer makes it a point to make fun of each of these aspects in some small way. Equal-oppurtunity mockery. I like it.
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