The undertone of "The Franklin's Tale" by Chaucer starkly contrasts the undertone of Chaucer's "The Clerk's Tale." The Franklin's Tale describes marriages as a mutual, humorous arrangement, while The Clerk's Tale describes marriage as a one-sided, subservient arrangement where the wife should serve her husband.
In the Franklin's Tale, Arveragus promises never to be jealous of his wife Dorigen, as their marriage was defined by great amounts of trust. One of the only similarities between the two tales is that both wives are willing to die to honor their husbands.
This tale emphasizes the importance of keeping one's word, especially in Medieval times. Arveragus told Dorigen the worst thing you can do is promise a man something because promises in this period were believed to be tied to the fate of one's soul. Because Aurelius completed Dorigen's assigned quest, Dorigen is bound by chivalric code to enter courtly love with Aurelius. Arveragus has no problem telling Dorigen to honor her commitment to Aurelius because he knows that if Dorigen sleeps with Aurelius, the couple is breaking chivalric code which may be punishable by Aurelius' death.
Conclusively, we are supposed to pity both Aurelius and Dorigen in this tale for their love that was not meant to be.
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