Q.

“Unto the garden, as my husband bade,

My truthe for to hold, alas! alas!”
Dorigen’s words unite three major topics of the tale: marriage, truth, submission. Discuss
Chaucer’s presentation of the three topics in light of Dorigen’s comment.
Ans. “Who could relate, except those that wedded be, the joy, the ease, and the prosperity that
are between a husband and a wife?” The above quote perfectly sums the essence of The
Franklin’s central concerns. Chaucer’s throws light on the sanctity of marriage, the significance
of truth in relationships and owning up to one’s promises, and submission. In this essay, I will
attempt to discuss Chaucer’s presentation of these three respective themes, how they come
together and in what ways they differ.

Dorigen’s own words seemingly hint at her unfaltering submission to her husband’s will.
Chaucer implies that in this state of frenzy that only thing that is clear to her is that she is
following through with what her “husband bade”. It represents how, in explicit terms, she is
about to bare herself but implicitly it is her husband’s ever present veil of protection that gives
her the strength to go through this ordeal, and have faith in that fact that it will in no way affect
their personal relationship. Chaucer presents this era as one where truth prevails, and little else
surpasses it in significance, this is emphasized when Arviragus says “Truth is the highest thing
that man may keep.” Therefore, submission in this light doesn’t necessarily mean submission in
marriage. Alternately, it might refer to submission in other respects. For example, it wasn’t total
understanding or patience of character that led to Arviragus bidding his wife to fulfill her
promise; rather it was the incessant need to uphold his honor as a knight which led him to this
decision i.e. submission to the societal norms. On the other hand, Dorigen is also aware that she
must face the consequences of her rash promise. She is in no position to deny any of her
husband’s biddings because she has a lot to account for. Therefore, hers can be seen as
submission to fate.

Chaucer very boldly challenges the criteria for sanctity of marriage via satire. He implies that
both Arviragus and Dorigen tend to look to each other for direction and feel incomplete without
the other. However at times, it leads to the question whether either of them really understands the
kind of maturity marriage calls for and whether it is mere ignorance that allows them to remain
intact as a couple in the face of a huge moral struggle. Arviragus believes that in having Dorigen
fulfill her promise to Aurelius, he is protecting his honor. In doing so, he fails to see that the two
of them are in essence one unit; his honor is at stake as well because it is linked with hers. This
contradicts the ideal of marriage initially displayed by this couple because it is realized that they
lack the very depth that makes up the foundations of a relationship and are unable to comprehend
or deal with the dilemmas that threaten to defile the sanctity of their relationship.
Dorigen’s comment presents a very warped sense of truth. It gives the impression that she does
not really believe in upholding truth to the extent her husband does. Her words don’t seem very
convincing, and it explains her dazed state as well because she isn’t her true self there. She uses
the words “my truth to keep”, and it raises the question whether she meant what she promised to
Aurelius or was it really a lie? And if it was a lie then why is Arviragus so oblivious to her
façade, it just lays further emphasis on the two of them not knowing each other that well after all.
It is surprising how well he takes the news of her promising herself to another man and urges her
to keep that truth while seemingly forgetting the unsaid promise of faithfulness between a
husband and wife.

Chaucer’s has brilliantly brought together three major themes of his tale under the umbrella of a
single comment. He attempts to show that human flaw is ever present, in fact it is the flaw itself
which perfects the ideals and themes that he has brought to light and that there is no black and
white when it comes to human emotion and decision. There are no set criteria or definitions for
these themes and it is one’s own ability to interpret and reflect which eventually leads to the
most sensible conclusion.