Canterbury

A detailed Summary of Canterbury

The Clerk's Tale is an indirect response to the Wife of Bath who

stated that women desire complete sovereignty over their

husbands and lovers. The Clerk puts forth a diametrically

opposite view and draws the sketch of a totally submissive

Chaucer's source for the Clerk's tale is Petrarch's 'Fable of

Obedience and Wifely Faith' written in Latin that was in turn

derived from Boccaccio's 'Decameron'. Chaucer closely follows

Petrarch's text. Chaucer makes the Clerk candidly acknowledge

that his tale is derived from "Frauncey's Petrak".

The Clerk's Tale is suited to his character as a serious student.

His tale too has a scholarly theme and deals with the issue of

genuine obedience and loyalty in a wife. Griselda's story upholds

faith in goodness even in times of adversity. It is definitely a

moral tale and the Clerk relates it with all seriousness and

The Host's warning to the Clerk to keep his language simple and

to tell an entertaining and adventurous tale were not needed. The

tale proves that the Clerk was not an ossified academic. However

Griselda's story of long suffering may be unappealing to modern

the exploitation of the governed class by the rulers. Griselda is a

in the Clerk's portrait apart from the pun on his being a

goodness of God and perseverance in times of adversity.

a comment on patriarchal domination.

and benefactors. Chaucer seriously appreciates the Clerk's

the fourteenth century. Griselda was simply acting in accordance

- mindedly pursue his insatiable quest for knowledge and

Approximate Word count = 770
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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