Archive:The Marriage Debate
The Marriage Debate
Act VI, Scene III
Setting: In the tavern where the pilgrims started from. It is after the dinner to the winner of the Best Tale has been finished. Several of the pilgrims sit together nursing a few pints of ale. These are the Wife of Bath, the Franklin, the Clerk, and the Merchant. The Miller and a few other pilgrims are around, but most have retired for the night.
Wife of Bath: So, as I was saying over dinner, we all just want to be heard. That is what a woman really wants. We’re people too...
Miller: *drunk* You just want to talk our bloody ears off!
Other men in tavern: Here, here!
Wife of Bath: Oh, shut up!
Miller: *still drunk, winces from his alcohol induced headache* See? Bloody ‘arpy.
Clerk: Your tale did state that “Wommen desiren to have sovereynetee As wel over hir housbond as hir love, And for to been in maistrie hym above.”
Wife of Bath: Yes, but my tale also states that after he allowed her to choose “she obeyed hym in every thyng That myghte doon hym plesance or likyng.” Women don’t want to actually control men, they just don’t want to be taken for granted. We just want to have a say about our own lives, and to be treated fairly, not like some thrice damned possession.
Merchant: Well that is one way to manipulate a man. *high pitched voice mimicking wife* I’m an ugly hag when I don’t get my way then I’m all nice and pretty until the next time I don’t get what I want.
Wife of Bath: *glares darkly at Merchant* That’s not what I meant.
Franklin: *dryly* Oh, and you don’t manipulate men daily with your job, Merchant?
Merchant: Not as well as my wife does daily! Why are you taking her side? It’s not like your tale paints women in such a wonderful light. *takes a long swig of ale*
Franklin: I’d say my tale paints women in a much better light than yours. The woman in mine at least stays faithful to her husband. While in your tale, how do you so delicately put it, ah yes, Damyan “swyved” her in a tree.
Merchant: *sputters into cup*
Clerk: *blushes*
Wife of Bath: *raises and eyebrow and takes a drink*
Merchant: My tale shows the true power that women have over words. They can twist any phrase to suit themselves, not caring about others at all. Your tale shows that too.
Franklin: Oh?
Merchant: Just look at your tale! Women use words to their advantage all the time. *glares at Wife of Bath*
Franklin: Actually, I’d say your tale is the only tale that does that. After all, May talks her way out of trouble by convincing Januarie “a man that waketh out of his sleep, He may sodeynly wel taken keep Upon a thyng, ne seen it parfitly, Til that he be adawed verraily.” The Wife of Bath’s Tale has the woman telling the man the answer to the riddle, which, might I remind you, saves his life. She doesn’t outright lie at all. Also the Clerk’s Tale has the faithful Grisilde not saying a word against her husband the entire time.
Merchant: Remember when Dorigen says to Aurelie that “Ye remoeve alle the rokkes, stoon by stoon, That they ne lette ship ne boot to goon – I seye, whan ye han maad the coost so clene Of rokkes that ther nys no stoon ysene, Thanne I wol love yow best of any man.” And then when he does that, she still doesn’t love him! That is using words to manipulate a man.
Wife of Bath: *slams down cup* You can’t use that! She kept her promise to her husband at the end. And that promise overrides some silly phrase said to turn away an unwanted suitor.
Merchant: But she still made a promise and broke it!
Franklin: You know, she never realized that he would remove all the rocks so she would have to keep it.
Wife of Bath: Technically she didn’t have to keep it.
Franklin: *takes a sip to hide his growing smile, his eyes dance merrily*
Clerk: *confused* How so? He removed the rocks. He fulfilled his obligations.
Wife of Bath: Aurelie didn’t fulfill three of the qualifications. First, he hires a magician. Second, the magician “thurgh his magik, for a wyke or tweye, It seemed that alle the rooks were aweye” this means the rocks were still there! He didn’t get rid of them. And finally, Aurelie was supposed to remove then one by one and not all at once.
Merchant: *scowls* Yes, well, you just proved how sneaky and conniving women really are.
Franklin: *raises an eyebrow* And I suppose your twisting of my words proves you aren’t just as sneaky?
Wife of Bath: *throws up hands in exasperation* Gentlemen! This is not about the sneakiness of anyone, but of marriage!
Clerk: I agree. Let us return to the topic at hand. *dreamy look in eyes* That blessed arrangement where the woman gives herself to a man.
Wife of Bath: *glares at Clerk* Where a man and woman join equally.
Clerk: In my tale Grisilde willingly gives up everything for her wonderful husband, and they live many happy years together because of it.
Wife of Bath: What are you? A sadist? Look at what Grisilde’s husband put her through!
Clerk: *blushes* I... she wasn’t...
Franklin: *whispered to person next to him* It’s always the quiet types, isn’t it...
Clerk: No... I...
Wife of Bath: So you want a woman to go sit back and take all the abuse you throw at her?
Clerk: That’s not...
Merchant: Hey, lighten up. Leave a man his “fantasyes’. If he wants someone to control completely, who are we to stop him. It’s the only way Januarie could live with such a wife as May.
Wife of Bath: *tartly* Well, since you are no help, I’ll just have to drag the Clerk from his world of books into the real world that we all live in. He is not Pygmalion and his mental virgin bride will not turn into a reality.
Franklin: Ladies! Really, do you have to bicker? *looks pointedly at Wife of Bath* Remember, you were the one who wanted to get back on topic about marriage.
Wife of Bath: *actually manages to look sheepish and mutters* I still think he’s deluded... A man can’t do all those things to a woman and expect her to take it willingly!
Clerk: *blushes* I am not a lady.
Franklin: Obviously we will be getting nowhere tonight. So on that note, I bid you all a goodnight. *leaves the table*
Wife of Bath: *yawns* Well, I must be getting my beauty sleep. Perhaps we could continue this some other time? *follows the Franklin out*
Clerk: *stiffly stands up from table and leaves in opposite direction of the other two mumbling* Am not a lady...
Merchant: *sits at table still nursing his ale* Bastards. The lot of them. What do they know?
Miller: *passed out on the next table over*
The Host: *comes around to clear away the tankards, tsks at the Miller and avoids the Merchant*
End Act VI, Scene III
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Act VI, Scene IV
Setting: The next morning at breakfast before the party finally goes their separate ways. All the pilgrims are there. The Miller is still passed out on a table. The Host is busy bringing breakfast orders around. The Merchant continues the debate with the Wife of Bath, drawing everyone in to a large argument. Chaucer sits off to the side, seemingly writing and occasionally refereeing the increasingly heated debate. Just when all Hell is about to break loose, the people the Miller swindled come in to nab him. All chaos ensues.