1
Huxtable
‘Choosing’ to Submit or Simply ‘Submitting’ to Domination?
The Paradox of ‘Tempte-ing’ in ‘The Clerk’s Tale’
(N.B. Unless otherwise cited, texts referred to are marked: A. Larry D. Benson, ed. The Riverside Chaucer, 3rd ed. Oxford: OUP, 1988. B. Giovanni Boccaccio. The Decameron, 2nd edition. Trans. G.H.McWilliam, London: Penguin, 1972, 1995.)
Overview
The Clerk, in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, tells of Walter’s testing of Griselda and her remarkable patience and steadfastness. The story is problematic for its tellers given the cruelty of the husband in his seemingly unmotivated emotional torturing of his wife. There is an ancient paradox at work, i.e., that in order to ‘test’ the purity and internal nobility of another, the ‘tester’ is obliged to make himself seem impure and ignoble, hence destroying any right to a ‘prize’, even if the ‘tested’ one passes the test. (‘Testing’ is itself a sign of impatience, etc.) This paradox resides at the heart of such Classical and Biblical stories as Agamemnon’s sacrifice of Iphigenia and Abraham’s test of faith to sacrifice Isaac and Cupid’s seemingly distrustful attitude towards Psyche – and makes them variously engaging and perplexing as a result). The purpose of these notes is to bring out how the different authors – Boccaccio, Petrarch and Chaucer – come to deal with this paradox in their treatment of the material. The method is to lay side by side and compare similar episodes from each, and draw out potential strategies of interpretation and the underlying structure of the individual imaginations at work in the story telling. My conclusion is that Chaucer deals best with the paradoxical material by painting Griselda more strongly as being in control and ‘choosing to submit’ (and so putting the matter into the same sphere as Abraham’s test of faith), and by making his Walter as nearly respectable in his attitude as possible (unpunished though he may be). This is an endorsement of the following comment from A:
“…her [Griselda’s] patience is produced by strength of character rather than mere submissiveness.” (A. p. 13.)
In doing so, Chaucer achieves the least cloudy work of Christian exemplum of the three – and it is as exemplum that the story stands its best chance of being appreciated. Otherwise, it is merely meaningless cruelty, or even worse, intentional cruelty. Chaucer gets the closest to taking a satisfying moral from an unsatisfying set of circumstances. Chaucer then loses his advantage by having his Clerk round off his monologue with a jolly song advocating that women fight their menfolk for justice using whatever means are to their advantage and to beware the monster cow (Chichevache) who devours patient wives.
Compare and Contrast
(a)The Marquis’ decision to marry
(b)The proposal and its terms and conditions
(c)Griselda’s departure from her father’s house
(d)The exact nature of the Marquis’ presentation of his ‘tests’ to Griselda.
(e)The attitude of the people
(f)The role of the Pope
(g)Griselda’s concern for her replacement
(h)The Marquis’ revelation and explanation of his deceptions
(i)Griselda’s joy
(j)The narrator’s remarks as to her patience and the reality of human nature
Griselda’s Engagement to be Married as Viewed by Boccaccio, Petrarch and Chaucer
Boccaccio
He then asked her, whether, if he took her to wife, she would study to comply with his wishes, and be not wroth, no matter what he might say or do, and be obedient, with not a few other questions of a like sort: to all which she answered, ay. Whereupon Gualtieri took her by the hand, led her forth, and before the eyes of all his company, and as many other folk as were there, caused her to strip naked, and let bring the garments that he had had fashioned for her, and had her forthwith arrayed therein, and upon her unkempt head let set a crown; and then, while all wondered: "Gentlemen," quoth he, "this is she whom I purpose to make my wife, so she be minded to have me for husband." Then, she standing abashed and astonied, he turned to her, saying: "Griselda, wilt thou have me for thy husband?"To whom: "Ay, my lord," answered she. "And I will have thee to wife," said he, and married her before them all. And having set her upon a palfrey, he brought her home with pomp.
(from The Decameron, trans. J.M.Rigg, Day 10, Story 10.)
Petrarch
Walter, approaching her, addressed her in these words: "It is your father's pleasure and mine that you shall be my wife. I believe that this will please you, too. But I have one thing to ask you: when that is done which shortly shall take place, will you be prepared, with consenting mind, to agree with me in all things; so that you dispute my wish in nothing, and permit me, with mind consenting, and without remonstrance of word or look, to do whatever I will with you?"
Trembling at this marvellous thing, the girl made answer: "I know myself unworthy such an honour; but if it be your will, and if it be my destiny, I will never consciously cherish a thought, much less do anything, which might be contrary to your desires; nor will you do anything, even though you bid me die, which I shall bear ill."
"It is enough," said he; and so, leading her out before the throng, he showed her to the people, and said, "This is my wife, this is your lady; cherish her and love her; and if you hold me dear, hold her most dear of all."
Then, lest she carry into her new home any relic of her former fortune, he commanded her to be stripped, and clad from head to heel with new garments; and this was done, reverently and swiftly, by matrons who stood around her and who embraced her each in turn.
(from Petrarch’s translation, ‘ATale of Wifely Obedience and Faith’.)
So one fine day when, as usual, my mind was distracted by a variety of occupations, discontented with myself and my surroundings, I suddenly sent everything flying, and, snatching my pen, I attacked this story of yours. I sincerely trust that it will gratify you that I have of my own free-will undertaken to translate your work, something I should certainly never think of doing for anyone else, but which I was induced to do in this instance by my partiality for you and for the story. Not neglecting the precept of Horace in his Art of Poetry, that the careful translator should not attempt to render word for word, I have told your tale in my own language, in some places changing or even adding a few words, for I felt that you would not only permit, but would approve, such alterations.
(from Petrarch’s dedication of his translation to Boccaccio, Francis Petrarch (1304-1374), Letters of Old Age, xvii, 3.)
Chaucer
"Grisilde," he seyde, "ye shal wel understonde
It liketh to youre fader and to me
That I yow wedde, and eek it may so stonde,
As I suppose, ye wol that it so be.
But thise demandes axe I first," quod he,
"That, sith it shal be doon in hastif wyse,
Wol ye assente, or elles yow avyse?
"I seye this, be ye redy with good herte
To al my lust, and that I frely may,
As me best thynketh, do yow laughe or smerte,
And never ye to grucche it, nyght ne day?
And eek whan I sey 'ye,' ne sey nat 'nay,'
Neither by word ne frownyng contenance?
Swere this, and heere I swere oure alliance."
Wondrynge upon this word, quakynge for drede,
She seyde, "Lord, undigne and unworthy
Am I to thilke honour that ye me beede;
But as ye wole youreself, right so wole I.
And heere I swere that nevere willyngly,
In werk ne thoght, I nyl yow disobeye,
For to be deed, though me were looth to deye."
"This is ynogh, Grisilde myn," quod he.
And forth he gooth, with a ful sobre cheere,
Out at the dore, and after that cam she,
And to the peple he seyde in this manere:
"This is my wyf," quod he, "that standeth heere.
Honoureth hire and loveth hire, I preye,
Whoso me loveth; ther is namoore to seye."
(‘The Clerk’ Tale’, part 2, 344-371)