The Clerk's Tale

A good example of medieval marriages can be seen when Walter is confronted and asked to take a wife even though he has refused (because he enjoys more immediate pleasures). He is told that for his lineage to continue he must take a wife, and they would even find a woman of most noble status, which was a common characteristic for medieval marriages for aristocrats. What is different from the normal characteristics of medieval marriages is he refuses a noble woman for a wife. He does agree to marry, however he is choosing who he wants and she is to be treated with the same respect as if she were the emperor's daughter, no matter her origin.

Walter decides to marry a poor woman, named Griselde, who was virtuous, courageous, and charitable. Walter receives permission first from Giselde's father, Janicula, then from Griselde herself to take her hand in marriage. It is still very common today for men to ask their girlfriends' fathers for their daughter's hand in marriage. Walter had already prepared rich garments and jewelry in Griselde's size for their marriage, and she even appeared to be of noble birth.

Their first child together was a girl, which the populace resented, because she could not carry on the lineage. Although the second child was a boy, Walter had decided to "test" Griselde and sent this child off too, leaving her with none of the children she had birthed. This was a little confusing as to why he needed to "test" her by sending both of their children away (while people assumed them dead). The power men had in this time period can be seen in the sending off of the children without any complaint from Griselde, as well as sending Griselde back to her father even though he was the one who chose her personally to marry.

What the author was trying to get readers to understand was that women should patiently and willingly submit themselves to their husbands. Things changed over time, especially when women started leaving the house and joining the work force. Some women even hold higher positions than men in the work force.