It begins as a very simple love story about a lady, Dorigen, and her knight, Arveragus. I say a lady and her knight rather than a knight and his lady because as stated in line 730-35 "Ther was a knyght that loved and dide his payne/ To serve a lady in his beste wise;/ And many a labour, many a greet emprise,/ He for his lady wroghte er she were wonne./ For she was oon the faireste under sonne,/ And eek therto comen of so heigh kynrede
This is the first time we see a women presiding over a man because it befits he station to do so. I think it speaks to the relationship Chaucer has with his female storytellers and female characters. By establishing Dorigen's superiority over Arveragus from the beginning allows the reader to become more invested in her as a leading character. In the other tales involving women, even if they were a main component in the tale, we always dependent of the male counterparts story as well. Dorigen stands relatively alone in her will. After Arveragus is gone and Aurelius the Squire comes and makes his proclamation of love to Dorigen and she agrees it is to spare the feelings of the love sick servant. How was she to know that he would take and innocent agreement and find a magician to help him win?
Yes, I understand we do crazy things for love, however Aurelius uses magic as the means to win his love (and notice that it is his love not hers). He takes advantage of her virtuous and piteous nature to essentially trick her into marrying him. Arveragus returns and releases Dorigen from their bonds with an open heart knowing that he would not be the one to cause her to forsake herself. Seeing what he has done to Dorigen, Aurelius proceeds to the same end. Which brings me to the other reason I love this tale. The two questions asked at very end "Lordynges, this question, thanne, wol I aske now,/ Which was the mooste fre, as thynketh yow?/ Now telleth me, er that ye ferther wende. (11621-1623)
Now I believe Arveragus is the more noble of the two. He releases, without question, Dorigen without questions because he has faith in her. Aurelius, if he truly loved her, would never have put her in that position. He takes away the one thing, according to the Wife of Bath's tale, women want, sovereignty. Aurelius uses trickery and magic to win Dorigen for himself, Arveragus uses his will, honor and loyalty.
Oh and why I think it is appropriate for 21st century scholars-How many of you out there, whether man or women, have been put in a position to see and escape only to realize you've been blindsided by and act of impossiblity?
There is much more to the tale than that which I have stated, some things I still have questions about. But please add your two cents!
establishing Dorigen's superiority over Arveragus from the beginning
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree with you, homie! Here's my problem: we're told that Dorigen can be superior to Arveragus (as long as no one hears about it), but in the tale she is still trafficked. To even pose the question-- who was more noble, Arveragus for letting his woman sleep with another guy or Aurelius for allowing Dorigen to not have non-consensual sex with him-- is to ascribe ownership of Dorigen to both men.
To quote you paraphrasing me: Can't you see that I'm right?
Also, can I admit on this public academic blog that when I read, "She thonketh hym upon hir knees al bare," I had kind of dirty thoughts? I mean, I think that would have been an amazing way for this story to end. In fact, the best way.
Ahhh we are told she can keep her superiority (in the dark...ha) after she and Arveragus are married but the beginning of the tales begins by telling us of Dorigen's superiority and Arveragus's hope that he would be good enough and be of quality to match her own. I don't have my book with me at the moment but I know it's within the first 30 lines or so of the tale.
ReplyDeleteAnd technically I didn't pose the question who is more noble...the Franklin did. But to comment on the idea that Dorigen is in the ownership of both men is to call into question the traditional view of marriage and the traditional view of deal making. Yes it sucks for Dorigen either way but we have to remember that although Aurelius is a trickster and completely devious in his attempt to win Dorigen for his won she did enter into the contract, regardless if it was in jest and taken as serious, and she knew she was to suffer the consequences but Arveragus being noble would rather give up his love and his wife than to see Dorigen either kill herself or break a contract. So I don't know if I see that as Arveragus practicing ownership over her or seeing her as an equal.