Sunday, March 01, 2015

The Clerk's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer


I thought this e-card was appropriate for The Clerk's Tale because Lord Walter was somewhat of a politician and he fooled Griselda multiple times. If Lord Walter was a modern man, he would make a great congressman!


The Clerk' s Tale discusses the life of Lord Walter, who is a bachelor enjoying the freedoms of a man with no dependents. Lord Walter's people desperately want him to get married, but he wants such an occasion to naturally fall into place at his leisure. Walter does not want a forced marriage based around finances like other nobles, as such setups are common as one climbs up the noble ranks.

Walter decides to marry a beautiful, but financially humble maiden named Griselda. Walter proposes to Griselda on the condition that she will remain faithful to Walter no matter the tests he puts Griselda through. This is an important component of their marriage because as Walter continues to test Griselda, she maintains her class and faith in their marriage. 

It is believed that Chaucer wanted the reader to resent Walter's ways just as Walter's people did. Also, this tale was possibly meant to show that that forced marriage is bad as Walter was clearly uncomfortable with traditional marriage and had been very set in his bachelor ways. Ultimately, this tale shows that just as Walter tested Griselda, so will God test His people. 




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