Speech- A Knight's Tale

Chaucer:

My lords! My ladies --

And everybody else here NOT sitting on a cushion:

Today, today, you find yourselves equals.

For you are all equally blessed.

For I have the pride, the privilege, nay, the pleasure

Of introducing to you a Knight, sired by Knights,

A Knight who can trace his lineage back beyond Charlemagne.

I first met him atop a mountain near Jerusalem,

Praying to God,

Asking His forgiveness,

For the Saracen blood spilt by his sword.

Next, he amazed me still further in Italy

When he saved a fatherless beauty

From the would-be ravishings

Of her dreadful Turkish uncle.

In Greece, he spent a year in silence

Just to better understand the sound of a whisper.

And so, without further gilding the lily,

And with no more ado,

I give to you the Seeker of Serenity,

The Protector of Italian Virginity,

The Enforcer of our Lord God,

The One --

The Only --

Sir Ulrich Von Lichtenstein!!!

THE ARGUMENT- What are the consequences of Sir Ulrich Von Lichtenstein on the jousting tournament?

Sir Ulrich Von Lichtenstein will win the jousting tournament,

because Sir Ulrich Von Lichtenstein is a well-achieved knight. 

Whoever is a well achieved knight will also win the jousting tournament.

THE AUDIENCE- The peasants and common people watching the jousting tournament. (As evidenced by the statement, "and everybody else here NOT sitting on a cushion").

THE GOAL- The goal is to convince the people watching the tournament that Sir Ulrich Von Lichtenstein is an amazing knight who has done amazing things and will therefore win the tournament so they should cheer him on.

HOW??

This argument appeals to pathos because of the specific amazing things he mentions; he is religious and prayed for forgiveness, he saved a virgin, took a vow of silence to understand a whisper.

It appeals to logos because any knight who did all these incredible things would surely be able to win a jousting tournament.

It appeals to ethos because it refers to how he is a knight sired by knights who can trace his lineage back to Charlemagne himself, therefore he is a credible knight.

This argument is sufficient because it gives just enough information to make the people impressed with him, and tells more than the other people who introduce knights so he will stand out.

This argument is not typical in the sense that the other people who introduce knights are not nearly this elaborate but it is typical because the people listening are impressed with the feats he is describing and therefor they can relate.

The argument is not technically accurate since Chaucer is actually making all of this up because 'Sir Ulrich Von Lichtenstein' is really William Thatcher and hasn't done any of the things that Chaucer claims he has, nor is he really a knight.

The argument is relevant because the audience is there to watch the tournament and wants each of the knights competing to be introduced, so in the situation it is appropriate.

EFFECTIVE??

Despite the fact that the argument is not exactly accurate it is effective because of its appeal to pathos. By hitting that emotional cord with the audience, Chaucer is successful in getting them to cheer for Sir Ulrich Von Lichtenstein.