Chaucer vs. the Gawain-poet Chaucer follows Italian model –rhyming verse –iambic pentameter frame tale see derivations from –Dante’s pilgrimage –Boccaccio’s tales establishes English as a literary language throughout Europe Gawain-poet follows English model –alliterative verse romance epic see derivations from –Marie de France –Beowulf –Song of Roland looks to imitate best of past English literature; no European audience

Chaucer’s Marriage Tales ask big questions: What do women/men really want? What is the best balance of power in marriage? What should bring people together? –physical attraction –courtly love conventions –admiration for the other’s talents and abilities –natal rank

“The Miller’s Tale” Fabliau: a short tale in rhyming couplets that must be humorous. 2nd tale told on pilgrimage; follows a very long, highly-exalted and refined courtly love romance about a two men/one woman triangle “solved” by older, wiser ruler. The miller disrupts social hierarchy of tale telling by insisting on telling his “love story” as a response to the knight’s courtly love tale.

Two triangles in Miller’s tale Control and Lust triangles among John, Nicholas, Alison, and Absalom –all three men lust after and try to control Allison's sexuality –Nicholas controls John by getting him to believe in the flood –Nicholas tries to control Absolom by shaming him Allison Nicholas John Absolom All would-be controllers punished lust control

The Wife of Bath’s Tale Romance: tale of a knight’s adventure Knight’s sin of rape = failure to understand what women want and to obey women Since rape seen here as a sin against women, the women of the court punish it. Knight shows himself redeemable because he spends a year trying to learn about women and what they want. Tale suggests that any sin can be forgiven

Wife of Bath’s Mini Sermon Preaches against idea that social class determines virtue –upper class people not necessarily better despising poverty despising age elevating book learning above actual experience misogyny Old women’s bargain gives the knight two choices –old, ugly wife who will be sexually faithful –young, beautiful wife who may be adulterous knight declines to choose, putting his happiness in her hands she rewards him for understanding that women want the power

Gentility & Sovereignty in Wife of Bath Gentility –what is gentility? –who ought to be genteel? –from whence does it come? Sovereignty –who ought to exercise sovereignty? –who is actually exercising sovereignty? –from whence does this power to rule come? Fairy Wife both acts with gentility and exercises sovereignty.

G & S in The Clerk’s Tale What is the source of gentility? –God rather than ancestral birth Who is genteel? –Griselda always, Walter from time to time Who exercises sovereignty in the marriage? –Walter always, despite his lack of gentility Who most successfully exercises sovereignty over the people of Saluzza? –Griselda, who is wiser than Walter

G & S in The Merchant’s Tale Who acts with gentility? –Not January, who’s an old lecher –Not May, who is an eager adultress –Not Damian, who is a bad Squire –Not Pluto, who is eager to catch May in adultery Who has sovereignty in marriage? –May, because her youth and sexual beauty make January believe her lies

The Nun’s Priest’s Tale Similarities between Chanticleer and the Priest himself –both only males in female-run households –both rely on the authority of the written word Contrast between language of the tale and its subject matter –language of learning and of courtly love –for Pete’s sake, they’re just chickens! What insights into marriage do we gain?

G & S in Nun’s Priest’s Tale Gentility Does gentility reside in the language Chanticleer and Pertelote use towards one another? Does gentility reside in physical surroundings of wealth, beauty? Sovereignty Chanticleer rules the roost Source of his power –wit and cunning to outwit fox –narrowness of world he inhabits –ease of impressing Pertelote

G & S in The Franklin’s Tale Who has sovereignty in this marriage? –Ostensibly Dorigen, because she is to be his courtly lover and his wife –Actually Arveragus because Dorigen forces him to make the difficult decisions. Who behaves with gentility? –Gentility is a commodity which moves about –Gentility is detected in actions, not birth –The magician is the most genteel because he asks nothing in return for his learning