One of the striking differences between the Knyghts Tale and the Millers Tale (which supposedly "leaves" the Knyghts Tale) is that of clothing (the former tale ) and lack of clothing (in the latter case). Looking at the description of the Knight in the General Prologue, I discovered that clothing is a very important part of the Knight's Tale. Chaucer's description of them may foreshadow (or, since Chaucer wrote the tales after they were told, color his perception of the Knight) the importance of clothing in The Knight's Tale. Particular attention is paid to the knight's chain mail. habergeon, because he was late to return from his trip, and he left to make his pilgrimage. (lines I [A] 72-78). The rust-stained chainmail indicates that his armor was worn out, perhaps truly useless, and only served to weigh him down. The idea of ​​an artifice such as armor or clothing designed to protect but which later becomes a worn out, useless, restrictive and ultimately harmful object is found throughout the story. Chaucer may have been satirizing the romantic tale rather than glorifying it by copying it. Of the Romances (specifically The Knights' Tale), Finlayson wrote: "A principal characteristic of the romance is its formalism of language, gesture, and story - which might be seen as its deliberate exclusion of naturalism. » (page 130). Formal language is a form of dress, an ornamentation. The naturalism that is lacking in The Knights' Tale is certainly found in Miller's fabliaux with its frequent descriptions of nudity. The nudity in Miller's tale is almost a we...... middle of paper...... her hand in marriage. Finally, Palamon takes his hand. And finally, flesh touches flesh. The ending is appropriate, because only by removing the artifices that bind us can we become happy. Perhaps the Knight wants to get rid of his armor, because it also bothers him with the rust coloring his clothes. The Miller, in the next tale, goes to the extreme of shedding his clothes, which, as we later read, also carries its danger. Works Cited Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed Mack, Maynard et al. WW Norton and Co. New York, NY. 1992. Finlayson, John. "The Knights' Tale: the dialogue of romance, epic and philosophy". The Chaucer Review: A Journal of Medieval Studies and Literary Criticism. ed. Frank, Robert W., Pennsylvania State Press, University Park, Pennsylvania. Flight. 27 no. 2. 1992. 126-149. Chaucer by the river