A sin can be defined as an immoral act that is considered to be against divine law. Everyone's a sinner at some point in his or her life. Although one may try to not sin, all humans eventually succumb at some time or another. While people may not avoid the fate which awaits them, the power of free will allows them to decide how they will respond to it. With this in mind, in “Chaucer’s Knight's Tale,” two of the seven deadly sins, anger and envy, are expressed and used through the literary elements of symbolism and characterization. To being with, the sin of anger is implied throughout the story when both Palamoun and Arcite end up loving the same girl. Palamoun is the one who saw Emelye first in the garden, however, that didn’t stop Arcite from loving her either. Emelye is the symbolism in both Palamoun and Arcite’s world. Moreover, it is her who is causing two cousins to become sworn enemies in the name of love. Characterization is also taken place as both characters begin to change as the tale goes on. …show more content…
This takes place when Arcite gets to escape the prison because one of his friends, Perotheus, pleaded with Theseus for his release. Instead of being happy, Arcite was devastated by the news. The condition on releasing Arcite was that he never returned to Athens again, however, that also means he can never see Emelye again. Hearing this news, Palamoun envys Arcite because he can go home where he can raise an army and make war with Athens. Thus, “he burned with jealousy .. complained of the cruel Gods..” (Line 1275-1336).Moreover, the literary element of characterization is in motion when Arcite returns home to Thebes. Once he returned, he suffered so much for love that he neither eats nor drinks. It also said that “ he is so afflicted with love-sickness that his entire appearance, even his voice, is so changed..” (Line