Lions, and Tigers and duels, oh my!

When Palamoun and Arcite start to fight eachother, Palamoun is described as a "mad lion" and Arcite as a "cruel tiger" (1656-1657; The Knight's Tale; part 2). I would have over looked this; however about a hundred lines later, I read "lion" once again.

"But been a leon, bothe in word and dede...(1775)."

This time, Theseus is being compared to a lion. Therefore, I must conclude that the lion -from the Knight's point of view- is looked upon as a great animal; strong, wise, and of course, the "king of the jungle."

But I think, here,

the author is hinting at the fact that they are all animals. Tricking the Knight into describing his main character in the story as a lion, clearly shows us that we should view him as an animal, full of pride and strength, but without the deep and clear thinking of a human being.