Recitation: The Clerk vs. the Wife of Bath
Depending on whether you read the Wife of Bath’s Tale or the Clerk’s Tale, do option 1 or 2:
Option 1: The Wife of Bath
Preparation:
Think about the following questions and prepare to discuss them all; write 150 words on one of them:
A) What are the implications of having a woman narrate this tale–and in particular a woman with the Wife of Bath’s personality? Would it mean differently if the teller were male?
B) With whom does Chaucer seem to want his readers to sympathize, and, more importantly, how does he create sympathy for that character (or characters)?
C) Do you suppose that Lanval’s lover would agree with the Wife of Bath’s view of what women want? How would you compare the “fairy mistresses” of the Wife of Bath’s Tale and Lanval?
Recitation:
Debate the issues! In your responses, feel free to play a wily medieval clerk, making polite but pointed counterarguments–regardless of what your actual opinion is. Remember medieval students were expert in the art of dialectic: First argue A, then argue not-A.
Posters: Please look out for each other by making sure that everybody’s post has a reply.
Report:
- As always, include your original response.
- Report the range of responses to the questions. Did any consensus emerge? Did the discussion lead to to modify your stance? If so, how? Which arguments did you find most or least compelling?
Option 2: The Clerk
Preparation:
You have been conscripted to the storytelling contest–compose on one of the following:
A) Recount the Clerk’s Tale from Griselda’s point of view. Your tale, of course, will be pithier, but I bet you can pack a lot into 150 words!
B) Walter’s sham wedding is over, and everybody’s gone home. The excitement has died down, and Griselda is getting to know her kids. How would she explain her actions to them? What might be their response?
C) Imagine either of Griselda’s children ten years in the future trying to explain their parents’ actions to their best friend or to their romantic partner. Your account should show how the events of their childhood and the actions of their parents have affected their personality.
Recitation:
Exchange stories and critique them. Find out what motivated the stances taken in the stories.
Report:
1) Your original story.
2) Describe the range of interpretations evinced by the stories in your group. Did different takes on the characters emerge? Which did you find most compelling?
3) A revision of your story (optional–but advisable if you got helpful criticism) in light of the comments you received.