The Patient Woman in Chaucer's 'Clerk's Tale' and Marie de France's 'Fresne'

Author / Editor
Armstrong, Elizabeth Psakis.

Title
The Patient Woman in Chaucer's 'Clerk's Tale' and Marie de France's 'Fresne'

Published
Centennial Review 34 (1990):433-48.

Description
Both ClT and Marie de France's "Fresne" examine the themes of patience and obedience. Although the descriptions of Griselda and Fresne are strikingly similar, the style and perspective of the tales differ. In Chaucer's "lavish and masterful" style, the teller is dominant, while in Marie's simple and honest style, the reader must participate in the story, reading between the lines to understand all of its implications.

Chaucer Subjects
Clerk and his Tale.