The Clerk’s Tale Analysis

The Clerk’s Tale is a story of a man named Walter who refuses to get married until the people of his realm convince him that he must be married in order for him to have a son to carry on his heir. He agrees to marry a woman but only on his terms and his conditions. He remembers that there is a poor man, named Janicula, who has a daughter; and though as yet a girl of tender age, yet in the breast of her virginity there was a ripeness, serious and sage (Chaucer 327). He asks for her hand in marriage and she agrees to marry him and obey everything that he ever tells her to do. After they are married, he decides he will test her and see how dedicated she truly is. Griselda, the wife, gives birth to a daughter and Walter tells her that he is going to kill the child, she agrees that this is okay because she obeys everything her husband says. He really doesn’t kill the child though, he sends her away. A few years later she gives birth to a son. Walter, repeats the same scenario that happened with the daughter. Then he divorces Griselda and takes away all her riches. Even though Griselda has lost everything she is never negative. Chaucer compares this to the Biblical story of Job. Walter then brings back his children, has his daughter pose as his new wife and asks Griselda to plan their wedding for them. Griselda agrees without any hesitation or complaint. At the party before the wedding, Walter introduces Griselda to his new wife. She asks him to not treat this new wife as poorly as he treated her. He then reveals his secret of how he was just trying to test her dedication as a wife and that the “new wife” is really her daughter. Griselda is happy to receive the news that her children are still alive.
In order to portray this story of the clerk, Chaucer uses many literary elements. Yet none can reach a humbleness as white as woman can (Chaucer 347). This is an example of a symbol that could represent the pureness of Griselda in the story. Humbleness as white refers to the virtue and purity of woman. Chaucer uses similes such as, I’ll hurry home as quickly as can be (p. 328), to add to the effect of what is going on. In this case Chaucer is using the simile to show the character of Griselda, she is hardworking and hurries home to do her work so there is time to play. Personification is used to describe the day of the wedding, and as the morning opened on the day(Chaucer 328). Chaucer also uses an allusion in part 4 of the tale, he says that the people compare the life of Griselda to that of the life of Job. Both went through terrible times but didn’t doubt their faith and were never negative.