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The Great Gatsby
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Canterbury Tales Dorigen Quotes

For she was oon the faireste under sonne.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. The Franklin introduces us to the Breton knight Arveragus who loves the beautiful Dorigen, whom he is courting. Dorigen is put on a pedestal by Arveragus with an emphasis on her great beauty. With more than a touch of hyperbole she is described as being the fairest of all under the sun.

But atte laste she, for his worthynesse,
And namely for his meke obeysaunce,
Hath swich a pitee caught of his penaunce
That pryvely she fil of his accord
To take hym for hir housbonde and hir lord,
Of swich lordshipe as men han over hir wyves.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Because Arveragus is worthy and meekly obedient, Dorigen agrees to take him for her husband and her lord. She in turn would be subservient to him.

And for to lede the moore in blisse hir lyves,
Of his free wyl he swoor hire as a knyght
That nevere in al his lyf he, day ne nyght,
Ne sholde upon hym take no maistrie
Agayn hir wyl, ne kithe hire jalousie,
But hire obeye, and folwe hir wyl in al,
As any lovere to his lady shal,
Save that the name of soveraynetee,
That wolde he have for shame of his degree.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Arveragus swears to Dorigen that in their marriage he will not take upon himself any mastery against her will, nor show her any jealousy. But he promises to obey her and follow her will in everything, as any lover to his lady should. The one exception he makes is that he will maintain the appearance of sovereignty to avoid bringing shame on his status as a knight.

She seyde, "Sire, sith of youre gentillesse
Ye profre me to have so large a reyne,
Ne wolde nevere God bitwixe us tweyne,
As in my gilt, were outher werre or stryf.
Sire, I wol be youre humble trewe wyf –
Have heer my trouthe – til that myn herte breste."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Dorigen pledges to be a humble and true wife to Arveragus until the day that she dies. And she hopes to God that there will never come between them, through her fault, any war or strife. She praises him for his nobility in offering her such freedom from restraint in their marriage.

Lovers must each be ready to obey The other, if they would long keep company - Geoffrey Chaucer quote

Freendes everych oother moot obeye,
If they wol longe holden compaignye.
Modern English:
Lovers must each be ready to obey
The other, if they would long keep company.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. In his sermon on marriage, the Franklin talks about the balance of power within a relationship. To make it endure, a couple must be prepared to obey each other, as opposed to one domineering over the other. He is commenting on Arveragus and Dorigen’s relationship, a marriage of equals and partners.

Geoffrey Chaucer love quote from The Canterbury Tales

Love wol nat been constreyned by maistrye.
Whan maistrie comth, the God of Love anon
Beteth his wynges, and farewel, he is gon!
Modern English:
Love will not be constrained by mastery;
When mastery ‘comes, the god of love anon
Beats his fair wings, and farewell! He is gone!

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. The Franklin emphasises that when one person tries to dominate in a marriage, the god of love beats his wings and he flies out the door. Equality is essential for a marriage to work – like the marriage of Dorigen and Arveragus, which is based on equality with neither having mastery over the other.

Love is a thing as free as any spirit - Geoffrey Chaucer quote

Love is a thyng as any spirit free.
Wommen, of kynde desiren libertee,
And nat to been constreyned as a thral;
And so doon men, if I sooth seyen shal.
Modern English:
Love is a thing as free as any spirit;
women naturally desire liberty,
and not to be constrained like slaves;
and so, do men, if I shall tell the truth.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. The Franklin presents us with a much more positive and less cynical view of marriage than the Wife of Bath. He says love is something as free as any spirit and women and men by nature desire freedom and not to be enslaved. This is reflected in the partnership of knight Arveragus and his lady Dorigen.

Looke who that is moost pacient in love,
He is at his avantage al above.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. The Franklin, commenting on the equality of status in the marriage of Arveragus and Dorigen, says that the most patient person has most success in love. The patient person may one who is seen to share power and not be quick to dominate in a marriage.

Pacience is an heigh vertu, certeyn,
For it venquysseth, as thise clerkes seyn,
Thynges that rigour sholde nevere atteyne.
For every word men may nat chide or pleyne.
Lerneth to suffre, or elles, so moot I goon,
Ye shul it lerne, wher so ye wole or noon.
For in this world, certein, ther no wight is
That he ne dooth or seith somtyme amys.
Ire, siknesse, or constellacioun,
Wyn, wo, or chaungynge of complexioun
Causeth ful ofte to doon amys or speken.
On every wrong a man may nat be wreken.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. This long lyrical passage on the virtue of patience is the Franklin’s guide to living happily ever after for newly married couples like Dorigen and her knight Arveragus. A person should learn forebearance against annoyances and wrongs, that way they can get past any hurts done to them without having to seek revenge, advises the Franklin.

Who koude telle, but he hadde wedded be,
The joye, the ese, and the prosperitee
That is bitwixe an housbonde and his wyf?

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Arveragus and Dorigen are full of the joys and prosperity of a newly wedded couple madly in love. Only whose who have been married can appreciate the happiness that is between a husband and wife, comments the Franklin.

She moorneth, waketh, wayleth, fasteth, pleyneth.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Poor Dorigen’s emotions are all over the place when her husband has to leave her. He is sent away to Britain to work for two years. She cries, cannot sleep and cannot eat.

But, Lord, thise grisly feendly rokkes blake,
That semen rather a foul confusion
Of werk than any fair creacion
Of swich a parfit wys God and a stable,
Why han ye wroght this werk unresonable?

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Dorigen is distressed by the grisly, black rocks near to the shore, where so many lives have been lost. Apprehensive for her husband’s safety, she fears that whatever ship takes home could crash on these fiendish rocks and sink.

But thilke God that made wynd to blowe
As kepe my lord! This my conclusion…
But wolde God that alle thise rokkes blake
Were sonken into helle for his sake!
Thise rokkes sleen myn herte for the feere.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Dorigen prays to God to keep her husband Arveragus from perishing on the rocks off the coast of Brittany. She is fearful that the rocks will sink his ship and kill him on his way home from war. She wishes that they were sunken into hell, forshadowing her request to Aurelius to remove the rocks.

He syngeth, daunceth, passynge any man
That is, or was, sith that the world bigan.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Aurelius who is hopelessly in love with Dorigen tries to get her attention at a party. The handsome young squire sings and dances better than any man there is or has been since the world began, so says the Franklin. OK, Chaucer is indulging in hyperbole here.

Madame, reweth upon my peynes smerte;
For with a word ye may me sleen or save.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. The lusty young squire Aurelius summons courage to approach Dorigen and declare his love for her. Asking her to have pity on his pain, he tells her that with one word she may slay him or save him. The poor boy has it bad.

"Is this youre wyl," quod she, "and sey ye thus?
Nevere erst," quod she, "ne wiste I what ye mente.
But now, Aurelie, I knowe youre entente,
By thilke God that yaf me soule and lyf,
Ne shal I nevere been untrewe wyf
In word ne werk, as fer as I have wit;
I wol been his to whom that I am knyt.
Taak this for fynal answere as of me."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Dorigen deals with her unwanted admirer, the handsome young squire Aurelius. She states her unequivocal commitment to her chosen role of wife to Arveragus. She tells the lovelorn Aurelius that she will never be an untrue wife in word or deed and he should take that as her final answer.

Looke what day that endelong Britayne
Ye remoeve alle the rokkes, stoon by stoon,
That they ne lette ship ne boot to goon –
I seye, whan ye han maad the coost so clene
Of rokkes that ther nys no stoon ysene,
Thanne wol I love yow best of any man;
Have heer my trouthe, in al that evere I kan.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Dorigen softens the blow of rejection for Aurelius. Wishing to remain loyal to her husband, she sets Aurelius what she believes is an impossible condition, saying that if he fulfils it then she will love him. What he must do is remove all the rocks, stone by stone, from the coast of Brittany – she fears the rocks pose a danger to her husband’s ship on his return home. If Aurelius accomplishes that, then he will receive her love, she pledges, believing this will never happen.

"No, by that Lord," quod she, "that maked me!
For wel I woot that it shal never bityde.
Lat swiche folies out of youre herte slyde.
What deyntee sholde a man han in his lyf
For to go love another mannes wyf,
That hath hir body whan so that hym liketh?"

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. When Aurelius asks Dorigen if there is no other grace in her, she gives a firm and categorical "no" to his love proposal so that no ambiguity remains. She tells him to put such foolishness out of his heart. What pleasure should a man have in his life to go love another man’s wife, she asks?

But in a gardyn yond, at swich a place,
Ye woot right wel what ye bihighten me;
And in myn hand youre trouthe plighten ye
To love me best – God woot, ye seyde so.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Aurelius reminds Dorigen of her promise that she made to him that she would love him if he completed a certain task.

I have do so as ye comanded me;
And if ye vouche sauf, ye may go see.
Dooth as yow list; have youre biheste in mynde,
For, quyk or deed, right there ye shal me fynde.
In yow lith al to do me lyve or deye –
But wel I woot the rokkes been aweye.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Aurelius has done the impossible. He has removed all the rocks from the coast of Brittany, just as Dorigen commanded him to – foolishly believing he would never succeed of course. Since Dorigen pledged to love him if he did that he now reminds her of that promise.

Fro which t’ escape woot I no socour,
Save oonly deeth or elles dishonour;
Oon of thise two bihoveth me to chese.
But nathelees, yet have I levere to lese
My lif than of my body to have a shame,
Or knowe myselven fals, or lese my name;
And with my deth I may be quyt, ywis.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Never make a promise that you do not intend to keep is the moral of the story for Dorigen. She made a foolish promise to Aurelius that she would love him if he moved all the rocks from the Brittany coast. Now she faces the shame of breaking her word to Aurelius or breaking her pledge of loyalty to husband Arveragus. She contemplates killing herself. Death of dishonor seem the only choices to her.

And many a mayde, yslayn hirself, allas,
Rather than with hir body doon trespas?

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. The loyal Dorigen considers suicide as a way out, rather than go through with her pledge to love Aurelius and be unfaithful to husband Arveragus. Many a maid has slain herself rather than do sin with her body, she tells herself.

It may be wel, paraventure, yet to day.
Ye shul youre trouthe holden, by my fay!
For God so wisly have mercy upon me,
I hadde wel levere ystiked for to be
For verray love which that I to yow have,
But if ye sholde youre trouthe kepe and save.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Arveragus insists that his wife Dorigen must keep her pledge she made to Aurelius to love him. He would rather be stabbed for the true love he had for her, than she would not keep her word, he tells her. This is very courageous and noble of Arveragus, who like his wife is very virtuous.

Trouthe is the hyeste thyng that man may kepe.
Modern English:
Truth is the highest thing that man may keep.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Arveragus tells Dorigen that she must keep her word, because truth is the most important thing that a person may keep.

And seyde, "I yow forbede, up peyne of deeth,
That nevere, whil thee lasteth lyf ne breeth,
To no wight telle thou of this aventure –
As I may best, I wol my wo endure –
Ne make no contenance of hevynesse,
That folk of yow may demen harm or gesse."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Arveragus asserts his authority over Dorigen, breaking his pledge that they would always be equal partners and he would not assert mastery over her. Regarding her promise to love Aureliux and the fulfilment of it, he forbids her to ever tell anyone about it, and he would endure it as best he could.

And she answerde, half as she were mad,
"Unto the gardyn, as myn housbonde bad,
My trouthe for to holde – allas, allas!"

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. This is the greatly distressed Dorigen’s reply to Aurelius, when he asks where she is going. Into the garden my pledged word to keep, as my husband commanded, she answers, as if they were half mad. She is referring to her unfortunate promise.

Aurelius gan wondren on this cas,
And in his herte hadde greet compassioun
Of hire and of hire lamentacioun,
And of Arveragus, the worthy knyght,
That bad hire holden al that she had hight,
So looth hym was his wyf sholde breke hir trouthe.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Dorigen’s lamenting and her worthy husband’s generosity about her promise really touch Aurelius and he feels great compassion for them.

That sith I se his grete gentillesse
To yow, and eek I se wel youre distresse,
That him were levere han shame (and that were routhe)
Than ye to me sholde breke thus youre trouthe,
I have wel levere evere to suffre wo
Than I departe the love bitwix yow two.
I yow relesse, madame, into youre hond
Quyt every serement and every bond
That ye han maad to me as heerbiforn.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Squire Aurelius decides to do the right and noble thing. He sees Dorigen’s great distress and her husband’s graciousness in accepting shame rather than she should break her pledged word to Aurelius. So Aurelius releases Dorigen from her promise, saying he would rather suffer woe always than break apart the love between her and Arveragus.

My trouthe I plighte, I shal yow never repreve
Of no biheste, and heere I take my leve,
As of the treweste and the beste wyf
That evere yet I knew in al my lyf.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. After releasing her from her pledge, Aurelius promises Dorigen never to reprove or bother her about it again. He calls her the truest and best wife that he has ever known in all his life.

That made me han of hire so greet pitee;
And right as frely as he sente hire me,
As frely sente I hire to hym ageyn.
This al and som; ther is namoore to seyn.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Aurelius is explaining to the student-magician how he felt such great pity for Dorigen, that as freely as her husband sent her to him, he sent her back to her husband.

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