remainder of the fee. The philosopher is angered by
this and asks, “Hastow nat had thy lady as thee liketh?”
(l. 1588). Aurelius tells the philosopher that he devel-
oped pity when he understood Dorigen’s grief at the
idea of being “a wikked wyf” (l. 1599). The philoso-
pher answers that if a squire and a knight can act
nobly, so can a clerk, and he releases Aurelius from the
entire fee. “Thy hast ypayed wel for my vitaille [provi-
sions]. / It is ynogh” (ll. 1618–19).
The Franklin concludes the tale with a question for
his fellow pilgrims: “Which was the moste fre, [gener-
ous] as thinketh yow?” (l. 1622). Rather than giving his
tale a fi xed conclusion or moral interpretation, he
opens it up for discussion and varied interpretation
among the other pilgrims of The Canterbury Tales.
“The Franklin’s Tale” is one of fi ve varied ROMANCEs
in The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer frequently writes tales
that disrupt or challenge expectations about generic
forms. Here he has the Franklin state in the prologue
to his tale that it is a Breton lai (LAY). However, stylistic
and thematic characteristics make it a better example
of romance than of lai. These include the emphasis on
gentilesse—nobility of character, generosity, honor,
honesty—as well as the careful rhetorical texture of the
tale.
Though the Franklin claims he “lerned nevere retho-
rik” (l. 719), his tale is rhetorically complex, using rep-
etition, digression, and recitation of proverb-like bits
of wisdom about life, all rhetorical strategies common
in Chaucer’s works as well as in other medieval litera-
ture, though not in the lai. The Franklin uses other
unusual rhetorical techniques that characterize the tale
as especially rhetorically complex. For example, Dori-
gen lists exempla (see EXEMPLUM) of women who have
committed suicide rather than lose their chastity.
While one or a few such exempla are frequently
employed, such a long list is uncommon. The use of
periphrasis, or a long-winded way of referring to a
common occurrence, is also infrequent in medieval lit-
erature, but it occurs here.
Some readers have taken “The Franklin’s Tale” as a
noble story in which the characters all act honorably.
Others read all of the characters as behaving badly:
Aurelius by extracting a promise of physical satisfac-
tion from a married women, Dorigen by promising
rashly to give in to Aurelius’s lust if he makes all the
rocks disappear, Arveragus by sending his wife to sat-
isfy another man’s sexual demands, and the magician
by demanding an extravagant fee for his labors.
Gentilesse is a concept crucial to “The Franklin’s
Tale” and involves not simply nobility of character but
also the idea of a model of behavior expected of mem-
bers of the aristocracy or the “gentil” social class. “The
WIFE OF BATH’S TALE” shows that members of the aris-
tocracy do not always behave nobly; “The Franklin’s
Tale,” in contrast, makes the argument that nobility of
character is not limited to members of the aristocracy
but may also be practiced by members of “lower” social
classes. Such blurring of class distinctions also points
back to the GENERAL PROLOGUE TO THE CANTERBURY TALES,
in which any fi rm demarcations of social class are
shown to be very diffi cult to maintain in England by
the 14th century.
The tale investigates the theme of “trouthe,” the
requirement to uphold one’s vows. Dorigen’s promise
of “trouthe” in marriage to Arveragus is threatened by
her promise of sexual intercourse with Aurelius if he
makes all the rocks disappear. However, she makes
this promise believing it is an empty one. Moreover,
Arveragus tells her she should keep this vow to Aure-
lius yet not tell anyone she has done so, apparently
holding appearance to be more important than actual
morality, as when he promised to obey Dorigen in
marriage as long as she gave the appearance of obeying
him. The privileging of appearances also occurs in the
magician’s demonstration of his skill, when he makes
Aurelius and his brother see a forest full of deer and a
pair of jousting knights within his study. The rocks
which Dorigen fears are never actually removed; due
to the magician’s labors, “it semed that alle the rokkes
were away” (l. 1296).
In choosing life over suicide, the Franklin’s Dorigen
provides a more moderate alternative to “The Physi-
cian’s Tale” of a father who determines to kill his
daughter rather than allow her to be raped by a corrupt
public offi cial. She also contrasts with but is nonethe-
less aligned in interesting ways with Criseyde of Chau-
cer’s TROILUS AND CRISEYDE, who agrees to a sexual
relationship with Troilus although she refuses mar-
riage. She is then sent as a hostage into the Greek“FRANKLIN’S TALE, THE” 195