The Clerk's Prologue and Tale
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
'The Clerk's Tale' is the first tale of Group E in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. It is followed by the Merchant's Tale. The Clerk of Oxenford (modern Oxford) is a student of what would nowadays be considered philosophy or theology. He tells the tale of Griselda, a young woman whose husband tests her loyalty in a series of bizarre torments that recall the Biblical book of Job.
[edit] Plot
The Host asks the Clerk of Oxford to narrate a tale in plain style. The Clerk announces a tale that he has learned from another clerk.
The Clerk's tale is about a marquis called Walter. Lord Walter is a bachelor who is asked by his subjects to marry in order to provide a heir. Lord Walter assents and marries a poor girl called Griselda. Griselda is a poor girl, who is noticed by Walter a Marquis, who asks for her hand in marriage, but in order for Griselda to have the life of a bourgeoise she must promise silent submission to him.
After some time, Walter starts testing Griselda's patience. Ultimately, the clerk's tale is about unconditional female submissiveness.
After Griselda bears a daughter, Walter decides to test her loyalty to him. He sends an officer to take the baby, pretending to kill her, and take it in secret to Bologna. Griselda makes no protest at this. When she bears a son several years later, the Marquis again has him taken from her.
Finally, Walter determines one last test. He has a Papal bull of annulment forged which enables him to leave Griselda, and informs her that he intends to remarry. He requires her to prepare the wedding for his new bride. Secretly, he has the children returned from Bologna, and he presents his daughter as his intended wife. Eventually he informs Griselda of the deceit, and (perhaps improbably) they live happily ever after.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by The Summoner's Prologue and Tale |
The Canterbury Tales | Succeeded by The Merchant's Prologue and Tale |
