The Wife Of Bath Vs Franklin's Tale Essay

Ladies and gentlemen it has been a great pleasure to listen to all the great tales that are told throughout our journey. However every journey has an end and it includes this one. Although each tale has its own unique aspect and a great story in its own right, I finally narrowed it down to two that I thought was a cut above the rest. I judged the tales based on its predictability and its overall impact on our moralities. Ultimately I came to the decision between The Wife of Bath's Tale and The Franklin’s Tale. Compare to the other tales, not only do the Franklin’s and the Wife of Bath’s tale have an unexpected twist at the end, but also both tales offer exceptionally deep impressions that alter my perspective on marriage. Marriage is an important aspect of our society and has been a recurring theme throughout the
As the Franklin said “But at last, because of his great worth, and particularly because of his meek obedience, … that she privately agreed to take him for her husband and her lord ” (Lines 10-14). This is ultimately the reason as to why Dorigen never cheated on her husband when he was away unlike all the other stories. Thus showing us that marriage could only be successful if it was a voluntary commitment shared by both parties. Although Aurelius had the opportunity to fulfill his desires with Dorigen, he ultimately gave up and respected Dorigen’s loyalty to her husband. As Aurelius told the philosopher “how loath she was to be a wicked wife, and that she would rather have lost her life that day, and that she had sworn her oath in innocence”(Lines 870-873) Surprisingly Aurelius’ integrity is greater than his lust and thus he is willing to let Dorigen return to Arveragus untainted. This tale not only had the unpredictably plot that left us at the edge of our seats but also shows us the integrity and loyalty that we should all strive to