worked well for writers such as JOHN GOWER, BOCCAC-
CIO, and Christine de Pizan, scholars reveal that Chau-
cer found it uninspiring and limiting.
In the poem, the narrator is summoned by the God
of Love to answer, under pain of death, why he spread
disparaging tales about love and true lovers in his ear-
lier English translation of Le Roman de la Rose (The
Romance of the Rose) and his Troilus and Criseyde.
Defending him, Alceste argues that the narrator did
not fully comprehend what he was writing in these
works since he has other works that praise love and
lovers. Rather than executing him, Alceste asks that the
narrator’s penance involve “makynge of a gloryous leg-
ende / of goode women, maydenes and wyves, / That
were trewe in lovynge al here lyves” (G. 473–475) and
so the God of Love charges him with this task. He
awakes from the dream and writes the unfi nished col-
lection of legends. The irony is that while the women
of the legends are “trewe,” the men are not.
Chaucer opens with the story of Cleopatra and Ant-
ony. Antony, a senator, is also “a ful worthy gentil wer-
reyour [warrior]” (F. 597) who falls in love with
Cleopatra. She returns his sentiments, and the two
marry. After their wedding, Octavius plots the destruc-
tion of Antony through a great battle. Cleopatra must
fl ee the area, and Antony is left to fi ght, which leads to
his despair and suicide. Hearing of her husband’s
death, Cleopatra instructs her servants to build a shrine
and, next to it, dig a pit to be fi lled with serpents.
Cleopatra walks naked into the pit, killing herself.
The second legend is that of Thisbe and Pyramus,
whose love for each other is blocked by a wall separat-
ing their city. The two devise a plan to meet outside of
the city limits. Wearing a wimple, Thisbe leaves fi rst
and encounters a ferocious lioness. Seeking refuge,
Thisbe loses her headpiece, returning later to fi nd it
bloodied and torn by the lioness. Pyramus arrives late,
sees the wimple, and believes his beloved to be mur-
dered. He despairs and stabs himself. Thisbe fi nds him
mortally wounded. Grieved by his death, Thisbe kills
herself with Pyramus’s own sword.
Dido’s story, the third in the collection, is the lon-
gest at 443 lines. Dido dreams of Aeneas, a man who is
“lyk a knyght” (F. 1066) and staying in her court. The
two are part of a hunting expedition that gets caught in
a storm. Seeking refuge, they discover their mutual
affection and agree to marry. Once their marriage is
consummated, Aeneas secretly plans to steal away in
the night. Dido announces she is with child. He leaves
but does not take his sword. Before killing herself with
Aeneas’ word, Dido writes him a letter.
The fourth story comprises the legend of Hypsipyle
and Medea, both spurned by Jason. Hypsipyle married
Jason and had two children by him. Following these
births, Jason sailed away and never came back. Hypsi-
pyle writes him, saying that she will live truly and
chastely as his wife. She later dies of “sorwes smerte”
(F. 1579). Jason sails straight to Colcos, where he
meets and marries Medea “as trewe knyght” (F. 1336).
Medea is also left by Jason, who has moved on to marry
yet another woman. Like Hypsipyle, Medea writes him
a letter that upbraids him for his behavior.
The fi fth legend is that of Lucrece, who is praised by
her husband Colatyn for her faithfulness. Upon hear-
ing of her goodness, Tarquinius, the king’s son,
becomes enchanted with Lucrece’s reputation. He vis-
its Lucrece’s home, where he is welcomed as Colatyn’s
friend. At night, Tarquinius rapes Lucrece, and threat-
ens to cut her throat if she makes noise. Throughout
his assault, she remains silent. Overcome with shame,
Lucrece takes a knife and kills herself, making her a
martyr.
The sixth legend is of Ariadne, who helps Theseus, a
troubled knight. With her sister Phaedra, Ariadne plots
a way for Theseus to fi ght and defeat the Minotaur, and
then escape. In return, he asks to serve Ariadne. She
refuses, saying she will be his wife, as they are each of
noble degree. After Theseus defeats the monster, all
three escape, and Theseus marries Ariadne. During the
voyage, the group spends the night on an island. While
Ariadne sleeps, Theseus leaves, taking the fairer Phae-
dra. Upon wakening, Ariadne realizes she has been
betrayed and begins a long lament of woe, which
Chaucer abbreviates.
Philomela’s legend is the seventh of the collection.
Philomela, the sister of Procne, is raped by her brother-
in-law, Tereus. Afterward, he shuts her up in a castle
and cuts out her tongue. Tereus returns to Procne, say-
ing that Philomela is dead. Meanwhile, Philomela
weaves a tapestry that spells out Tereus’s crime. A ser-244 LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN, THE