Historical accuracy of A Knight's Tale
Historical accuracy of A Knight's Tale
Characters
William Thatcher/Sir Ulrich von Liechtenstein
William Thatcher is a fictional character.
Jocelyn
Jocelyn is a fictional character.
Wat
Wat is a fictional character.
Roland
Roland is a fictional character.
Kate the farrier
Kate is a fictional character.
Count Adhemar
Count Adhemar is a fictional character.
More characters
Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer was a real historical figure, the author of "The Canterbury Tales." However, his portrayal as a gambling, nudist herald is highly anachronistic and comedic. While he did live during the time period, his involvement in the story is purely fictionalized.
Sir Ector
Sir Ector is a character from Arthurian legend, but he is not a historical person.
Setting
Jousting with lances.
Jousting with lances as depicted did not emerge until later in the medieval period.
Plate armor.
The widespread use of full plate armor was not common during this era.
Medieval social hierarchy.
While touching on social classes, the film takes liberties with historical accuracy.
Importance of heraldry.
The use of heraldry in the film is reasonably accurate for the period.
Medieval music and dance.
The film incorporates anachronistic modern music and dance styles.
Women's roles in tournaments.
Women's participation in jousting tournaments is unlikely in the way depicted.
Living conditions of commoners.
The film focuses primarily on the nobility, neglecting the realities of medieval peasant life.
Brutal nature of medieval combat.
The film romanticizes combat somewhat, minimizing the brutality and frequency of death.