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Unit 14: The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales (Non-detailed Study): Discussion and Analysis-VI

(this unreasonable work), whose only purpose was to kill people. Her friends, seeing how terribly Notes
Dorigen feared that whatever ship brought her husband home would crash on these rocks and sink,
provided further distractions.
One day, her friends had organized a party and a dance in a beautiful garden. It was at this dance
that Aurelius, a squire, danced in front of Dorigen, who was as fresh and well-dressed as the month
of May. His singing and dancing were better than any man’s, and he was one of the most handsome
men alive. Unbeknownst to Dorigen, Aurelius had been in love with her for two years, but had
never dared tell her how he felt. It was during the dancing, then, that Aurelius addressed Dorigen,
wishing that he, and not her husband, had been sent across the sea, before begging her to have
mercy on him and revealing his love.
Dorigen responded by sternly rebuking Aurelius, telling him that she would never be an untrue
wife, and had no intention of cuckolding her husband. And then, “in pley” (playfully, flirtily, in
fun), Dorigen added that she would be Aurelius’ love on the day that all of the rocks were removed
from the coast. This made Aurelius sigh heavily: “Madame”, he said “this were an inpossible!” (an
impossibility). The dance ended and the guests went home, except for poor, sorrowful Aurelius,
who fell to his knees, and holding his hands to heaven, prayed to the gods for mercy.
Arviragus then returned from abroad, and Dorigen was delighted to have him back. Two years
passed, and Aurelius lay in torment, and without comfort–except, that is for his brother, a clerk,
who suggested that he meet a student of law at Orleans who was versed in the sciences of illusion
and “magyk”. Heading toward Orleans, the two came across a young clerk, roaming by himself,
who greeted them in Latin, and claimed to know why they came. And before they went a step
further, he told them exactly what they were travelling to achieve.

What is the theme of the Franklin’s tale?

Aurelius leapt down from his horse, and went with this man to his house, where he fed them and
showed them wondrous illusions of various kinds. The man eventually agreed to remove the rocks
from the coast for a thousand pounds; “Fy on a thousand pound!” responded Aurelius, “This wyde
world… I wolde it yeve” (“Never mind a thousand pounds! I’d give you the wide world!”), and
promised to pay the man.
The next morning, having stayed at the man’s house, they travelled to Brittany, where, by illusion,
the man made it so that, for a week or two, it would appear that the rocks had vanished. Aurelius,
who now knew that there was no obstacle to his deal with Dorigen, said grateful prayers, and
eventually came to his lady and explained to her, in courtly, formal terms, how he had fulfilled
their bargain. She stood astonished, entirely white, never thinking that such an occasion could arise,
and went home, despairing.
Arvigarus was out of town, and Dorigen was overcome with grief, realizing that she must forfeit
either her body or her reputation. She thought about the numerous instances in which a faithful
wife or a maiden destroyed herself rather than submitting herself to another. She cited the maidens
of Lacedaemon who chose to be slain rather than defiled, Hasdrubal’s wife, who committed suicide
during the siege of Carthage, and Lucrece, who did the same when Tarquin took her by force.
When Arviragus returned home and Dorigen told him the truth of what had happened, he told that
he will bear the shame of her actions, and that adhering to her promise is the most important thing.
He therefore sent her to submit to Aurelius. When Aurelius learned how well Arviragus had accepted
his wife’s promise, Aurelius decided to let Dorigen’s promise go unfulfilled, refusing to break the
married couple’s “trouthe”. He claimed that a squire can indeed be as honorable as a knight. Aurelius
then went to pay the law student, even though his affair remained unconsummated, and the man
forgave Aurelius’ debt, proving himself honorable. The narrator ends the tale by posing the question
to the assembled company “Which was the mooste fre, as thynketh yow?” “Who was the most
generous/noble, do you think?”

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