Theme Analysis Of “The Clerk’s Tale” By Geoffrey Chaucer

“The Clerk’s Tale” is one of the twenty-two stories that is in “The Canterbury Tales” Geoffrey Chaucer portrays his thoughts of what marriage was in that time period. This particular story revolves around a marriage between a lord and a destitute lady. The poor lady got hitched based on the premise that she will comply with the majority of his choices. Throughout the story the lord tries his best to test the lady's dedication to him. The author brilliantly utilizes the literary elements of character and plot to help depict the theme of marriage.

The first literary element demonstrated, happens to be character. The ruler named Walter, is depicted as a character, who is favored and loved by all. Basically demonstrating that Walter is a decent ruler, who does everything for his family to have unrivaled life. One prime example is that Walter can not uphold the expectations of the general public. In the sense, he declines to “marry a wife” and he “might befall” for his chamber and subjects. This implies there will be no beneficiary to the position of royalty if Walter somehow managed to bite the dust. In the wake of hearing that the ruler denies marriage, the general population walks to the lord and hope to appeal his decision. As he has improved the living conditions of the great mass of people. Walter adamanant on his decision makes it clear that he has no intentions of getting married, . because getting married implies a “loss of freedom, ” however in wake of seeing the general population come to him to appeal and request for him to get married, he finally agrees. He agrees to get married as long as he gets to“reserves to himself the choice of wife, ” despite the fact that he consents, it demonstrates him being somewhat hesitant.

The indicated topic of alliance begins off flawless where women and man can cherish one another. In the wake of satisfying the residents and committee, the second fundamental character is then presented, Griselda. Griselda is depicted as having “virtuous beauty, ” albeit given the way that Griselda was “fostered in dire poverty” she had “no luxurious lust in her heart had run, ” Griselda can be viewed as the uncommon impeccable lady. This speaks to the subject of union, when Griselda, the women in poverty, can be identified as “obedient and diligent, ” and likewise also “knew work well, ” and she would “bring roots and green herbs… which she’d shred and boil for her living, ” and make “her bed”. These skills helped portray the angles that ladies should convey with a specific end goal to be a decent spouse to the husband.

In the tale, Griselda's character portrays a guiltless lady trailing her religion, “Griselda's expressions of obedience have the formal affirmative quality of a creed, and strong religious overtones, ” she speaks to the topic of marriage as she pursues aimlessly after her significant other, believing that all that he does is the correct choice, it demonstrates that the marriage among Walter and Griselda is not out of adoration, yet out of fulfillment for Walter's choices since he spares Griselda from the live of destitution. The artistic component of character helps demonstrate the topic of marriage by observing the portrayal of the two fundamental characters and how both of their identities influence their marriage.

Another term that Geoffrey Chaucer uses to help depict the union of two individuals through the plot of the story. Walter and Griselda wed depending on the prerequisite that Griselda complies with the majority of Walter's choices and wants, since this marriage would profit Walter, Griselda, and her dad, to which she concurs with no issue. It benefits Walter as individuals begin him as an “honourable” man and as he wedded a lady with a “low social rank, ” however he had discovered a concealed goodness in her, this conveys bliss to the gathering and subjects that Walter found a decent spouse. Walter had "wedded with beneficial virtue" this demonstrates the plot of Walter's expectations in wedding Griselda, Griselda is a decent spouse, never giving her significant other an awful name, “there was no discord, rancor, nor sadness in all that land that she could not alleviate, and wisely bring them in rest and ease, ” this advantages Walter from multiple points of view that he can not do himself as a ruler. This speaks to the topic of marriage as their marriage has two distinct implications, “Walter has a plan behind his cruelty, and her responses bring it to its fruition, ” Walter wedded for advantages for his kingdom though Griselda wedded for what she calls love and all that she improves the situation Walter is a direct result of her affection for him where she feels that all that he does to her is out of adoration from him to her. Walter has another plot that incorporates a tragic cheered Griselda; Walter chooses to test how far Griselda will go for him as she had guaranteed before their marriage. The tests that Walter accommodates Griselda to complete is seen as torment, he first takes away their first child saying their youth is to be killed hence with the second tyke and a while later the last preliminary of Walter taking up another companion and Griselda stays by her spouses every decision.

Walter wants to continually test his better half for her dedication to him that she had guaranteed to him, to Walter maybe she is lying about her responsibility to the marriage so he always checks, “He had tested her enough before, and found her always good; why was it needed to test her, and always more and more, ” the plot demonstrates Walter and Griselda having no trust in their alliance between each other. This speaks to the topic of marriage as it demonstrates such Griselda's reality is in the palm of Walter's hand, his choices control everything about Griselda, toward the finish of the story, Walter chooses that since Griselda did everything, he gave her back her two youngsters, prompting a glad consummation for Griselda. The greater part which supports Walter’s outline tends to include Griselda which gives wretchedness to her, “The conditions that Walter puts to Grisilda are not those of marriage and equality, but of lordship and subjection, ” this demonstrates all Walter needs from Griselda is every one of the advantages and devotion that she can accommodate him.

Artistic component outlining plot demonstrates a genuine significance by means of the Clerk’s story. The theme of marriage is out of adoration for Walter and Griselda, yet to a greater extent a professional kind of alliance. The explorers recount their anecdotes about what occurred on their voyage. Every traveler clarifies a story that is not quite the same as the others. Their story shows every individual's ethics and convictions. Through their voyage they learn new certainties about the general population they meet and create and enthusiasm for their storyline.