Physician's Tale Summary

In the Physician’s Tale, a knight named Virginius had a daughter that had overpowering beauty. Her name was Virginia. Appius, a judge, decides he wants to have Virginia for himself and makes a plan to capture her with Claudius. Appius abuses his power as a judge and brings Virginius to court where Claudius accuses him of stealing Virginia from his home years before and is only pretending that she is his daughter. Virginius visits his daughter, telling her to choose death rather than stay with Appius and Claudius as a sexual object. Virginius cuts off Virginia’s head off so she will die pure. Virginius brings Appius her head and he is sent to be hanged. Instead, however, the judge is sent to prison, later killing himself, and Claudius is sent