A Knight's Tale Page #6

Synopsis: Inspired by "The Canterbury Tales," as well as the early life of William Marshall (later First Earl of Pembroke), this is the story of William, a young squire with a gift for jousting. After his master dies suddenly, the squire hits the road with his cohorts Roland and Wat. On the journey, they stumble across an unknown writer, Chaucer. William, lacking a proper pedigree, convinces Chaucer to forge genealogy documents that will pass him off as a knight. With his newly-minted history in hand, the young man sets out to prove himself a worthy knight at the country's jousting competition, and finds romance along the way.
Director(s): Brian Helgeland
Production: Columbia Pictures
  4 wins & 10 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.9
Metacritic:
56
Rotten Tomatoes:
58%
PG-13
Year:
2001
132 min
$55,001,689
Website
16,760 Views


- Not in a thatcher's chamber.|- It's quite fitting for a blind one.

Well, a thatcher I am.

I'll fix it.

Alive. I thought he was dead,|which is mad...

Alive. I thought he was dead,|which is mad...

...because he was also so strong.|Very strong.

- Geoff.|- Jocelyn.

This day just gets better and better.

Somebody die?

Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein.

Adhemar...

...followed you last night.|To Cheapside.

He saw your father.

Will, they asked me for your patents.

They're waiting for you|in the lists to arrest you.

A dozen royal guards.

- They'll put you in the stocks.|- But I face Adhemar in five minutes.

No, you forfeit.|They've already marked it down.

Saddle the horses.|They can arrest your baggage, not you.

Halt.

So, what do you think...

...now that you know what I am?

To know what you are, William,|would take a lifetime.

One I am willing to give.|But now you must run.

Run, and I will run with you.

Jocelyn, I cannot run.

I am a knight, and I will|put myself to the hazard!

In your heart, not on paper.|And paper's what matters to them!

William, I love you.

I love you. You.

- I won't see you led to the stocks.|- But you'll see me run? No!

Damn your pride, William.

It is only you that|will not see you run.

Pride's the one thing they can't take!

But they can take it from you.|They can and they will.

Oh, they will.

But love they cannot take.

And where will we live?

In my hovel?

- With the pigs inside in winter?|- Yes, William, with the pigs.

With the pigs.

The poor can marry for love.

Jocelyn, you speak of what|you do not know!

William, I beg you.

Please.

Run. Do it for love.

Roland, you would see me run?

And you, Geoff?

I wish it too, with all|the pieces of my heart.

Wat? You and I? We aren't runners.

Yes.

William, today we are.

Run, William.

I will not run!

I am a knight.

Well, boys...

...all good things must come to an end.

Let's end them together.

You will remove yourself|from this position of honor.

I am here to compete.

You are here to be arrested.

All right!

He that strives to touch a star...

...oft stumbles...

...at a simple straw.

You have been weighed.

You have been measured.

And you have been found wanting.

It's one loss or another...William.

In what world could you|have ever beaten me?

Leave, Roland.

Let them have me.

God love you, William.

So do I.

Go! Disperse!

Or I will fong you!

...the Virgin Mary are my witnesses,|I will fong you!

I will rip you! Fist! Pain!

I'll stick my fist and break you!|Pain! Lots of pain!

We're in trouble.

Listen to me.

Listen to me!

What a pair we make, huh?

Both trying to hide who we are.

Both unable to do so.

Your men love you.

If I knew nothing else about you,|that would be enough.

But you also tilt|when you should withdraw.

That is knightly too.

Release him.

He may appear to be|of humble origins...

...but my personal historians|have discovered...

...that he descends|from an ancient royal line.

This is my word.

And as such, is beyond contestation.

Now...

...if I may repay the kindness|you once showed me.

Take a knee.

By the power vested in me|by my father, King Edward...

...and by all the witnesses here...

...I dub thee...

...Sir William.

Arise...Sir William.

Can you joust?

There's my tournament to finish.

Now, are you fit to compete,|or shall the forfeit stand?

I'm fit.

At once.

Thank you, my lord.

All hail Prince Edward!

My lords, my ladies...

...and all you other people.

I give you the son of Philippe|de Vitry, son of Gilles....

- Are you sure?|- Yes.

It's nothing but spun sugar|and boot black.

It's a small target...

...but aim for his heart.

- -doer of daring deeds...

...conqueror of countless kingdoms,|Count...

...Adhemar!

Oh, God. I'll get the surgeon.

Roland!

You're the surgeon.

Come on.

Kate, get me back to one.

Otherwise we forfeit.

Dirty son of a b*tch!

Kate, I can't breathe.|I can't breathe.

As I said, thatcher.

In what world could you|have ever beaten me?

Such a place does not exist.

She's here.

Change your stars.

Let's dance, you and I.

It's two lances to none.

You must unhorse him or kill him.|It's the only way to win.

- You need more padding.|- No, leave it off.

I can't breathe with it on.

Lance.

I can barely grip it.

Damn.

Lash it to my arm.

Wat...

...lash it to me arm.

Good people!

I missed my introduction!

But please...

...please, I pray you.

Hear it now.

For I would lay rest...

...the grace in my tongue...

...and speak plain.

Days like these...

...are far too rare to cheapen|with heavy-handed words.

And so, I'm afraid,|without any ado whatsoever--

Excuse me, my lord.

Here he is! One of your own!

...and here before you now.

The son of John Thatcher...

...Sir William Thatcher!

That's your name.

Sir William Thatcher.

Your father heard that.

Godspeed, William.

William!

You have been weighed.

You've been measured.

And you absolutely...

...have been found wanting.

Welcome to the new world.

God save you, if it is right|that he should do so.

William!

Yes!

He's won! He's won!

You beat him, Will!

Oh, William.

I'm going to write this story.

About the prince and the knights?

No, all of it. All human activity|lies within the artist's scope.

Maybe not yours.

Rate this script:4.4 / 43 votes

Brian Helgeland

Brian Thomas Helgeland (born January 17, 1961) is an American screenwriter, film producer and director. He is most known for writing the screenplays for L.A. Confidential (for which he received the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay), Mystic River, and A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master. Helgeland also wrote and directed 42 (2013), a biopic of Jackie Robinson, and Legend (2015), about the rise and fall of the Kray twins. more…

All Brian Helgeland scripts | Brian Helgeland Scripts

0 fans

Submitted on August 05, 2018

Discuss this script with the community:

0 Comments

    Translation

    Translate and read this script in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this screenplay to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "A Knight's Tale" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 5 Nov. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/a_knight's_tale_1941>.

    We need you!

    Help us build the largest writers community and scripts collection on the web!

    The Studio:

    ScreenWriting Tool

    Write your screenplay and focus on the story with many helpful features.


    Quiz

    Are you a screenwriting master?

    »
    In screenwriting, what does the term "spec script" mean?
    A A script that includes special effects
    B A script written on speculation without a contract
    C A script based on a specific genre
    D A script written specifically for television