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The knight signifies the nobility in Piers Plowman’s ideal (but short-lived) feudal society. Although he is supposed to keep order and protect the people, he is too meek to do so, underscoring the way that feudal society can only work properly when all of the estates (social classes) work together.
Knight Quotes in Piers Plowman
The Piers Plowman quotes below are all either spoken by Knight or refer to Knight. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Passus VI Quotes
I shall sweat and strain and sow for us both,
And also labor for your love all my lifetime,
In exchange for your championing Holy Church and me
Against waters and wicked men who would destroy me.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
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Explanation and Analysis:
In this passage, Piers assigns jobs to the people doing work on his land, so that the half-acre is plowed quickly and the quest for Truth can officially begin. In doing so, Piers illustrates what feudalism is supposed to look like: the nobles (knights) protect the people, and in return, the peasants work in the fields and produce food. In Piers’ social structure, every person has a specific job that benefits the community. A bit later in the poem, this idealized feudalism that Piers establishes falls apart, with some people in each of the estates ceasing to do their parts. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Vo
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Knight Character Timeline in Piers Plowman
The timeline below shows where the character Knight appears in Piers Plowman. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Passus VI
...for the workers and sacks to hold grain while the men plow the land. A knight asks Piers to teach him how to plow, but Piers tells the knight to focus...
(full context)
...crippled to be excused from labor. Their dishonesty and idleness anger Piers, who asks the knight to reestablish order. The knight gently asks the fakers to return to their work, but...
(full context)
