A Knight's Tale
No, not the Chaucer version, though Chaucer does come into the
mix. This post covers the film, "A Knight's Tale," starring Heath
Ledger. In this movie, the different character types are crystal clear.
The primary characters can be identified within a couple of minutes of
the film's opening.
This movie actually has two layers of mind, body, and spirit characters, but I will address both layers together rather than doing separate posts.
William, a squire who masquerades as Sir Ulrich to compete in jousts, is the lead protagonist and Jocelyn is the object of his affections.
William begins the film by leaping into the joust after his lord dies mid-competition, despite the fact he has no noble lineage or training. If discovered, he could be imprisoned or executed. The theme for his character throughout the film is the desire to 'change his stars,' and this is the first step.
When William expresses a desire for Jocelyn, a companion tells him he aims too high. William's response is, 'If there's another way to aim, I don't know it.' A spirit character often believes nothing is out of his reach. After his first tournament, he decides to concentrate on the joust and stop competing in the sword competition. He decides he will compete for tournament champion, the top prize, or nothing at all.
William also shows honor in his first encounter with Sir Colville (Prince Edward). Colville is injured and unable to continue, so he agrees to a draw in order to let Colville finish the match. Colville then withdraws so William can advance.
Jocelyn begins by keeping an air of mystery. She refuses to let William know her name until she is certain of his character. Later, she tests his character by asking him to lose intentionally in order to prove his love. She is more interested in the quality and intensity of his emotions than his status or skill.
At the first dance, William has to improvise a dance when challenged by his opponent. At first, the crowd laughs, but Jocelyn joins him, giving him credibility.
When William decides to step in for his dead lord, Roland reminds him of the rules regarding nobility and the consequences of breaking those rules. Later, he explains the rules regarding scoring in the joust. Throughout the film, Roland keeps track of the score and explains what William needs to do to win.
Roland also keeps William mentally focused before his matches. In the first joust against Count Adhemar, Roland goes over strategy and technique before the match.
Kate is a female blacksmith who is ridiculed by the males in her profession, but is the only one willing to repair William's armor. She immediately recognizes the armor was not made for William. After that, she makes William a new suit of armor using a new technique so it is much lighter, but just as strong. When William questions it's strength, she offers to prove it with a test.
Kate offers her expertise when William is trying to learn to dance. When they finally show respect and ask politely, Kate agrees to help and shows much more knowledge in dance than all of the others. Meanwhile, Roland is sewing a tunic, another area of knowledge and expertise for him.
Throughout the film, Kate and Roland are seen as a pair. While there is no relationship between them other than their support for William, they often appear together.
In the opening scene, Wat's primary concern is food. He does not want to pass up the money he has in his hand for the chance of future glory. What he has will feed him, and that's his only thought at that time.
When Roland is explaining strategy, Wat is giving advice such as "hit him" or "win." He's only concerned about the outcome and the prize money.
When William is composing a love letter to Jocelyn, Wat suggests he "say something about her breasts." He is obviously not thinking about anything beyond the physical.
When Chaucer tells Wat he needs to dance like a girl so William can learn to lead, Wat punches him, showing himself to be a hothead and easily provoked.
Chaucer first appears walking naked down the road. One way to display a character as a body character is to display the character's body. Later, we learn Chaucer has a gambling problem when he loses his clothes once again. Any addiction is another sign that a character is a body character.
Like the mind characters (Kate and Roland) and the spirit characters (William and Jocelyn) the body characters (Wat and Chaucer) are often seen together throughout the film.
This movie actually has two layers of mind, body, and spirit characters, but I will address both layers together rather than doing separate posts.
The Spirit Characters: William (Heath Ledger) and Jocelyn (Shannyn Sossamon)
William, a squire who masquerades as Sir Ulrich to compete in jousts, is the lead protagonist and Jocelyn is the object of his affections.
William begins the film by leaping into the joust after his lord dies mid-competition, despite the fact he has no noble lineage or training. If discovered, he could be imprisoned or executed. The theme for his character throughout the film is the desire to 'change his stars,' and this is the first step.
When William expresses a desire for Jocelyn, a companion tells him he aims too high. William's response is, 'If there's another way to aim, I don't know it.' A spirit character often believes nothing is out of his reach. After his first tournament, he decides to concentrate on the joust and stop competing in the sword competition. He decides he will compete for tournament champion, the top prize, or nothing at all.
William also shows honor in his first encounter with Sir Colville (Prince Edward). Colville is injured and unable to continue, so he agrees to a draw in order to let Colville finish the match. Colville then withdraws so William can advance.
Jocelyn begins by keeping an air of mystery. She refuses to let William know her name until she is certain of his character. Later, she tests his character by asking him to lose intentionally in order to prove his love. She is more interested in the quality and intensity of his emotions than his status or skill.
At the first dance, William has to improvise a dance when challenged by his opponent. At first, the crowd laughs, but Jocelyn joins him, giving him credibility.
The Mind Characters: Roland (Mark Addy) and Kate (Laura Fraser)
When William decides to step in for his dead lord, Roland reminds him of the rules regarding nobility and the consequences of breaking those rules. Later, he explains the rules regarding scoring in the joust. Throughout the film, Roland keeps track of the score and explains what William needs to do to win.
Roland also keeps William mentally focused before his matches. In the first joust against Count Adhemar, Roland goes over strategy and technique before the match.
Kate is a female blacksmith who is ridiculed by the males in her profession, but is the only one willing to repair William's armor. She immediately recognizes the armor was not made for William. After that, she makes William a new suit of armor using a new technique so it is much lighter, but just as strong. When William questions it's strength, she offers to prove it with a test.
Kate offers her expertise when William is trying to learn to dance. When they finally show respect and ask politely, Kate agrees to help and shows much more knowledge in dance than all of the others. Meanwhile, Roland is sewing a tunic, another area of knowledge and expertise for him.
Throughout the film, Kate and Roland are seen as a pair. While there is no relationship between them other than their support for William, they often appear together.
The Body Characters: Wat (Alan Tudyk) and Chaucer (Paul Bettany)
In the opening scene, Wat's primary concern is food. He does not want to pass up the money he has in his hand for the chance of future glory. What he has will feed him, and that's his only thought at that time.
When Roland is explaining strategy, Wat is giving advice such as "hit him" or "win." He's only concerned about the outcome and the prize money.
When William is composing a love letter to Jocelyn, Wat suggests he "say something about her breasts." He is obviously not thinking about anything beyond the physical.
When Chaucer tells Wat he needs to dance like a girl so William can learn to lead, Wat punches him, showing himself to be a hothead and easily provoked.
Chaucer first appears walking naked down the road. One way to display a character as a body character is to display the character's body. Later, we learn Chaucer has a gambling problem when he loses his clothes once again. Any addiction is another sign that a character is a body character.
Like the mind characters (Kate and Roland) and the spirit characters (William and Jocelyn) the body characters (Wat and Chaucer) are often seen together throughout the film.
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