Canterbury Tales Gender Quotes

A trewe servant dooth moore diligence
Thy good to kepe than thyn owene wyf.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Merchant’s Tale. The Merchant quotes Theophrastus, author of The Golden Age of Marriage, to back up his own misogynist views. He says that a good servant will guard your goods better than your own wife. The Theophrastus tract, which satirically attacks marriage, is now lost but was excerpted by Saint Jerome in his Letter Against Jovinian, an important source for Chaucer’s Merchant’s Tale and Wife of Bath.

Deffie Theofraste, and herke me.
A wyf is Goddes yifte verraily;
Alle othere manere yiftes hardily,
As londes, rentes, pasture, or commune,
Or moebles – alle been yiftes of Fortune
That passen as a shadwe upon a wal.
But drede nat, if pleynly speke I shal:
A wyf wol laste, and in thyn hous endure.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Merchant’s Tale. The Merchant urges January to defy the advice of philosopher Theophrastus and his hatred of women and marriage, and instead listen to him. The narrator goes on to describe a wife a gift from God. Comparing her with lands, rents, pasture and personal possessions, he uses the language of commerce and objectifies women. A wife will ensure unlike these gifts of Fortune which pass like a shadow upon a wall, says the Merchant.

Dispeire yow noght, but have in youre memorie,
Paraunter she may be youre purgatorie!
She may be Goddes meene and Goddes whippe;
Thanne shal youre soule up to hevene skippe
Swifter than dooth an arwe out of a bowe.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Merchant’s Tale. Justinus to brother January after the old knight expresses fears that marriage will be such a heaven on earth it will supersede the rewards of the afterlife. Justinus, who is against January marrying a woman so much younger than himself, warns him that she may turn out to be his purgatory on earth!

Ther nys no werkman, whatsoevere he be,
That may bothe werke wel and hastily;
This wol be doon at leyser parfitly.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Merchant’s Tale. The old knight January comically likens himself to a craftsman at work on consummating his marriage on his wedding night. He deceives himself into thinking he is doing a great job. No workman can work both well and hastily, he tells young bride May, this will be done at leisure and perfectly! But his labor of love turns out far from perfect as far as May is concerned.

Goode men and wommen, o thyng warne I yow:
If any wight be in this chirche now
That hath doon synne horrible, that he
Dar nat, for shame, of it yshryven be,
Or any womman, be she yong or old,
That hath ymaked hir housbonde cokewold,
Swich folk shal have no power ne no grace
To offren to my relikes in this place.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Prologue. This neat sales pitch has to win Salesman and Marketer of the Year Award for the Pardoner! He uses it when trying to sell his fake "relics" to church congregations. He tells them that anyone who is guilty of a serious sin will have no power to purchase his relics. He specifically mentions wives who have committed adultery – are women his best customers? Boy, you can see them queuing up after that, purses out, to prove that they are without sin!

Of whiche the faireste hewed on hir throte
Was cleped faire damoysele Pertelote.
Curteys she was, discreet, and debonaire
And compaignable, and bar hyrself so faire
Syn thilke day that she was seven nyght oold,
That trewely she hath the herte in hoold
Of Chauntecleer loken in every lith.
He loved hire so, that wel was hym therwith.
But swich a joye was it to here hem synge
Whan that the brighte sonne gan to sprynge,
In sweete accord, "My lief is faren in londe!"

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Nun’s Priest’s Tale. The most beautiful of the hens, Pertelote, is described in courtly terms like fair, courteous, discreet, debonaire and she is in possession of Chauntecleer’s heart. He prizes her for her good looks. He sings to her romantic songs like "My lief is faren in londe" (My love walks through the land) and he loves her above all the other hens.

For certes, what so any womman seith,
We alle desiren, if it myghte bee,
To han housbondes hardy, wise, and free,
And secree – and no nygard, ne no fool,
Ne hym that is agast of every tool,
Ne noon avauntour, by that God above!

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Nun’s Priest’s Tale. In her rebuke and put-down of husband Chauntecleer for being frightened of a dream, Pertelote gives him the list of qualities that she demands in a husband. She claims that all women desire their husbands to be hardy, wise, generous, no miser or fool, not a boaster and not to be afraid of every tool. She is basically telling him to man up!
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