Duke Theseus (The Knight's Tale) His name is that of the famous ruler of ancient Athens who performed many outstanding feats in his life and was reputed to be a great and noble ruler.
Queen Hippolyta (The Knight's Tale) The wife of Theseus. She was a powerful queen of the Amazons before Theseus conquered the tribe and made her his queen.
Emilie (The Knight's Tale) Theseus' beautiful sister-in-law who inadvertently attracts the attention of two imprisoned knights, Arcite and Palamon, and thus is the instrument motivating the central plot.
Palamon (The Knight's Tale) A Theban knight who is wounded fighting against Theseus and imprisoned in perpetuity. Years later, he is the first to fall in love with the beautiful Emilie.
Arcite (The Knight's Tale) Another noble Theban knight and close friend to Palamon. When Arcite sees the beauteous Emilie, he pledges his undying love for her.
Old John, the Carpenter (The Miller's Tale) The rich and old carpenter who foolishly marries a lively young girl.
Alison (The Miller's Tale) The sensual young wife of the old carpenter. She conspires to have an affair with the young scholar and to play an obscene trick upon another suitor.
Nicholas (The Miller's Tale) The passionate young boarder who uses his knowledge of astrology to convince the carpenter that another flood is about to begin so that he can seduce the carpenter's young wife.
Absalon (The Miller's Tale) A young clerk who falls in love with Alison and interferes with Nicholas and Alison's trysts. He is delicate, dainty, and overly sensitive to foul smells. He becomes the butt of an obscene joke.
