Hi and welcome to classical stuff. You should know a podcast about classical education My name is Graham Donaldson hi, and I'm here with AJ Hanenburg That's me and Thomas Fletcher Maggie Hello and thing of this podcast is to take the old things the classical things the things of Western civilization and package them into nice little podcast you'll packets and send them to you You know measurement and we and we lovingly nestle them in your ears So that you can learn and love the heritage of The Western world, I don't know we like old things we teach at a classical school and we think that there is worth in Learning the old things and that's why we're here and today Arthur on Hanenburg is gonna take us on a pilgrimage We are going to be going from Inge-Lange to Contrebury and we are going to and on that pilgrimage We're gonna get bored and so we are going to listen to some tales some Contrebury tales take it away Arthur Not to confuse with Cadbury which is an egg it's a chocolate. We are coming up on an Easter here Yeah, actually Cadbury the family of Cadbury it is a there's an whole other episode the family of Cadbury their wakers And they were trying to make the whole chocolate industry was attempt to make nutritious like meal supplements So they're basically like what's that stupid gross thing that ever thought all the start-up bros like um The like I don't need to eat I just need to drink the soil it's got all my nutrients in it That was what basically the original chocolate industry was trying to do that They thought it was super nutritious and then it was just gross without sugar and then and then anyway Cadbury the house of Cadbury and the house of lint and the house of Hershey the American house they're really fastening holes the Reese Reese unfortunately became fractured and Anyway, so there's a whole other classical stuff podcast. I'm sorry.
Can't break tails. No, that's super interesting We should do so much chocolate. It'd be fun. So we are jumping back into the Canterbury Tales So do you always remember what happened last time?
Who are the folks from Canterbury where they going? Who's the writer? What's the story? Can tell me first who Chaucer?
Chaucer was a poet. He also made sure people did collect a text as the right way He was good at it. Yeah, oh and an early classical stuff. He got wrong I said that Canterbury Tales was written during the reign of Edward III It is in fact written in during the reign of his son Richard II.
Right so there you go. Sorry internet So a bunch of people forgive me internet. They're taking a pilgrimage and they get a free meal if they tell a good story So they're telling about the stories to try and tell a good one Yep, and disputes rise up and the first tale We have is a noble one about from from a night and it's about two brothers Palamon and our seat a that fall in love with a lady Emily and she doesn't really want to hang out with anybody and Then eventually our seat a Windsor hand and then dies almost instantly and then Palamon eventually gets the girl He bonks his head on his horse pommel. Yep, he gets buck off his horse and shatters his brain But that is not the end of fun.
Death will have today ladies and gentlemen and then in between our two tails the Millers and the Reeves tail Now these tails are tails that we will not be visiting on the podcast There is a reason that Chaucer is seen as a bit of a body artist anybody who's actually seen the movie the night's tail Chaucer's, you know, he kind of drinks any kind of yells and he kind of that's not accurate I think to them in himself was he would have been a fest at his tax collector, but what do you tell stories about people like that? He really does tell stories about people like that and the Millers tail he has characters that are kind of dirty men and the dirty men tell dirty stories And yeah, then the stories are dirty and the people in the stories are dirty And it's just three layers of dirty right there kind of the life it's a real guy that tells a story about people and there's drinking and there's I'm a lot of butts a lot of butts I can't go into details which So we're not gonna go to details on those if you are interested You can go back and read the Millers and the Reeves tail and they sort of go against each other because the Miller makes one about a carpenter The carpenter makes one about a Miller and they sort of paint each other and not a favorable light Right, so yeah after the Miller tells a story about a carpenter or a Reeve the Reeve is like Oh, yeah, well I got a tail about a Miller and then drops on about a Miller and in both ones they don't look good And then we have the Cook's tail and the Cook's tail is short and it seems to be connected to the Millers in the Reeves He basically says there was this apprentice to a guy and the apprentice part of the lot and then eventually got kicked out of his job And went to live with prostitute and that's the end of the tale It's about a page and a half and they think it's unfinished and so I'm not gonna spend any time there because they think it's unfinished Now the poor cook in Canterbury tail he is going to Canterbury because he has gout and he's wanting St. Thomas back into cure his gout and he has gout because he only eats his delicious cooking He's like thick sauces and so his legs are all puffy and he's sad and pain And they make fun of him because he he'll take pies and like remix them and then read bake them and they're old and Smelly he's not a good cook right this guy and it seems to me that after the Miller's in the Reeves tail the reason he tells it He's like oh you guys have tales about people getting away with stuff, huh? Here's one about a guy who does bad and ends up in a bad life It's not a very good I like to think that it's finished and it's just not a very good story and it turns out that the cook is not only a bad Cook he's just kind of a bad storyteller.
That's not your can't. Yeah, rest be together Yeah in my head that's what's happening, but I think it's actually just an unfinished nail All right next we have the man of law now the man of law is well dressed he's well put together He's fairly rich and he gives his big introduction and a piece of it is isn't it a bummer to be poor right being poor is a really Rough thing for everyone and I don't quite see how that connects Maybe you guys can help me put it together But the story begins with some rich Chapman who live in Syria and they need to go sell their wares And so they head to Rome and while in Rome selling their stuff from Syria They hear about the princess of Rome and the princess of Rome is beautiful and she is chaste and she is virtuous And oh man all of Rome is just gaga for her. She is the lady die of Rome, right? Princess Diana?
Yeah, sure Yeah, maybe not a perfect analogy, but everyone loves her. She's kind of a mascot She's great So they go back and they tell the prince of Syria about this and the prince falls in love hmm just from hearing about in absentia he falls totally in in love with this person What's happened? Okay, and Chaucer says that Alass is written in the stars that he will find his death because of love and then he goes On to talk more about the stars and he says pair of venture in filch large book Which which that men cleaped the heaven that he writing was with stars when that he his birth took that he for love should with his death Alas for in the stars clearer than his glass is written God What so could it read the death of every man without and read in stairs? st.
E. R. E. S in stairs many a winter there before and was written the death of Echilles of Pompeii Julius air They were born the strife of thieves and of Hercules of Samson turnus and of Socrates the death But men's written be so Ben so dull that no white can well read it at full basically our Futures and the stars if only we could read it, but we're just bad reading boys So we can't figure out the stars Which is this weird thing that kind of happens all throughout Chaucer is that he we talked about it way way back in one of our first Podcast the spheres that medieval man believed that the spheres had influence over our lives And so the stars you know having an influence or telling the future had had some sort of influence what was going on It's church didn't even necessarily say this was a bad thing Yeah, because the the the the board there's influence as opposed to determination Yeah, so There's still room for free will there's still room for man to act but there can be influence that the planets are influencing Our attitudes our dispositions are moods, but it is in fact, but we still it's not determination Yeah, there's still parts of that today not so much.
I'm not thinking like astrology But like they're people that say man's a full moon our kids are crazy. It's like okay. I think it's true. Yeah It's weird anyway, that's in there and so he calls together all his counselors and he's like boys How do I get this lady?
How how can we make this happen? Right? I'm a prince of Syria. She's a princess Let's let's make it happen and they try to think of everything right so diverse men diverse things said and they argument and cast an up and down Many a subtle reason forth they laden they speak of magic and abusion, but finally as in conclusion They cannot seen in that non-advantage may in another way save marriage It's like boy, you got a merrier You got a merrier that girl and he realizes that the only way to do it is to become a Christian and he has a matter Once we come a Christian so he can be with her Yes And so he decides to convert and he sends word and he says hey, I'd like to marry your princess and I am converting to Christianity That's the story and vows are made on both sides right the same accord was sworn on either side now fair coostance Almighty God the guy So that was her that was her name coostance I think that's kind of an earlier version of constants as I was reading this with my book club One of the guys said that he wondered if this was connected to Constantine right as the original Christian emperor And she's just sort of an echo of constant.
That was interesting anyway Well, the emperor says okay great my daughter's getting married So he dresses her up and he makes her look good and she is so incredibly sad and then she's like mother and father I'll never see you guys again It's so sad and then she gets sent off and goes to Syria now. There's there's a problem His mom the prince of Syria's mom. How do you think she feels about all this horrible? She's probably not too thrilled.
Yeah, she's really good and yeah, she's definitely not a girl Yeah Yeah, she's so so she falls it calls together all her counselors and she says guys we got to make this happen He has left Muhammad. He has left the faith He's getting married to this Christian woman and I would rather rule than him so what do you guys think again follow my lead? And they all go yeah totally following your lead and she says we shall first feynus Christian to take cold water shall not grieves But a light like basically we can get baptized I won't hurt and I shall such a feast and revel make that I is true I shall the Sultan quite for though his wife be christened never so white she shall have need to wash away the red though She a font full of water with her lead dang so basically it's gonna get bloody and and That's what happens he I'm gonna read you these two pieces and they're only really they're not gonna matter now But we're gonna they're gonna matter as I come to the next tale so this man of law says of the Sultan's mother oh So Denise root of an equity Virgo thou semi rhyme the scoundle oh serpent under femininity like to the serpent deep in hell abound Oh feigned woman all that may confound virtue and innocence Thirlat thy malice is bread and thee as nest of every vice oh Satan envious sin-filled day that thou were chased from our heritage Well-known as thou to women the old way thou made us eva bring us in service Thou will for doing this Christ in marriage by instrument so way lay the while make a style of women when thou will to be guile Basically women are kind of bad news and Satan's really good at duping women to do what he wants it to do Who's tell is this this is the man of laws tail again? That's not gonna matter as much now But it's gonna matter a whole lot more later all right and then it happens right they the wife arrives the Sultan meets her on the boat And he says hey welcome I'm so glad you're here It's much a little bit and then they have this feast and here's what happens for shortly for to tell him adward the sodden and the Christian Everichan been a trot to be all to hue and sticked at the board But it were only then customs alone basically she killed everybody except for the wife So she left the princess I think probably because she didn't want to tangle with Rome and have war on her hands But she killed everybody else and decided to rule in her stead Wow and so they took the girl plunked her on a boat.
So she killed her son Yeah, she killed her son and took over so she took her girl plunked her on a boat and then said have fun Rome by and then sent her off With no crew with nothing else they did give her plenty of food and water But that's it and so this poor girl has no idea how to sail and she doesn't know what's going on It's beginning to sound like allegory to me. You think so? Yeah, yeah the constants by yourself Anyway, whatever. We'll get those pieces together Yeah, you'll get there So she sails and then there he was on this big kind of list about how God the Savior can save her in her in her sorrow And then eventually she falls in Northumberland, so she arrives Past Rome to get there.
Yeah, so she sails a long way from Syria to Northumberland So Northumberland is like in the north of England Northumberland is like around New York But is it an accident or she's not intending the other she's not certainly no yeah, yeah You got you even got like passed by France. You got a go around England to get to Northumberland It's probably more impressive that you know the job. Yeah, it's really quite the feet of sailing wait So where would she had to go that's on the other side of so she wanted to get to Northumberland? There are I don't know.
I think they're putting her I'm assuming she's going in the Mediterranean as opposed to going up the rivers through Russia. What's happened? Yeah, let's talk back. So did you know that Vikings?
That were so Viking so like in Norway and Scandinavia Did a lot of trade through the rivers through Russia down the Balkans into Turkey and for a long period of time The royal guards of the emperor of the Byzantine Empire Byzantine Empire so the ruler of Constantinople his personal guards were Vikings So you had these Norwegian Vikings with their horns and their battle axes in the middle of the Turkish like desert guarding the emperor guarding the Christian emperor It's not fascinating. Yeah, yeah, they were known at their own name and they were known to drink a lot Fornicate and kill people which also sounds like Vikings I'd have to go through the Mediterranean pass the through the Straits of Gibraltar and then around Spain And then go through the you know the English channel and then around up to York or She could have done what the Vikings didn't go up the but they put her in the sea and boat They were supposed to rivers through Russia and then out through Viking land and then crazy good for her Yeah, man So she says she arrives in Northumberland and she's found by this constable and She looks so sweet and so sad and just so pittiest that he's like oh I gotta take care of you And she claims that she's lost lost her mind not totally lost her mind But lost her memory at least so here's the quote she said she was so amazed in the sea that she forgot her mind by her truth Constable have of her so great pity and eat his wife He means also that they weep in for Ruth She was so diligent without and sloth to serve and please an average in that place that all her love and that look at in her in her face I mean that's also that's a trope that happens a lot if you spend lots of time on water is madness now that comes a lot Mm-hmm. It's in a movie deck and also it's just the sea being chaos and living in chaos driving you crazy is Yeah, so she says she's lost memory. She hasn't she's just being smart right if she says hi I'm the princess of Rome like that get you in a lot of trouble Especially she's like I was also involved in the murder of the Sultan King like that's yeah That's also a problem so she's there and she meets the Constable's wife Herman guild and Herman guild is awful sweet and Constance or Custis is so sweet and so good and so pious that Herman guild converts is at this point They are all pegans in that place right in fact They've got kicked out all the Christians and the Christians off led you want to guess the where Ireland whales well So they've all gone to Wales, but there's a few there's no Christian are just kind of hiding it living in exile kind of around the castle And it's kind of unknown that this is happening anyway She converts Herman guild not the husband just Herman guild and that one of these Christian Britons that has been living around the castle Here's about customs and he kind of understands that people are converting and comes and he's blind and while they're walking along the road One day he calls out and he says hey stop in the name of Christ name Herman guild give me my side again So she's like oh she doesn't say anything she doesn't bless him She doesn't give anything because she's afraid her husband will find out she's Christian and killed her right but Constance says hey be strong be bold tell your husband What's really up so she says hey I'm a Christian and that's what's happening and the husband says okay and converts to now She's got the constable and the wife and everything's going really well Except there's a young man and he really likes Constance and he tries to woo her But he doesn't he doesn't get anywhere the line is he will with her but at a veil if not she will do no sin by no way So he tries to get with her and she says no and so he wants to get back at her So one night while the constable is way he climbs into Herman guild window and Herman guild it happens to be sleeping in the same But it's like they're just sort of sharing a bit and we're there many back then so they're they're sleeping he climbs in besides Herman guild Slits her throat Oh lays the hand in constances or lays the the knife in cusses his hand and in bales And then the next day accuses her of the murder of Herman guild and so the constable brings her before the king and the king's name is Allah, I know that's weird considering we were just just another land, but it's I don't think there's any connection with the Oh, oh, the god.
I don't think they didn't even know yeah, his name is just Allah And so he comes and she's standing there and she's got no champion She's got no help She's got nobody and the king is just like how can this person be guilty everyone in the town is like there's no way she did this But that guy is so adamant He's like I know she did this I know she is guilty and so the king has compassion and he says now hastily do fetch a book quote He and if this knight will swear in how that she this woman slow or slew yet Will we as a vice whom that we will that shall bin are just eyes So they bring a book and it's the gospels written in Celtic I don't know that he the king would have known because remember Christians are sort of kicked out at this point But he's like hey, good book He'll have to swear on a book and so the guy swears on the book and he says A Britain book written with Yvonne jalise was fed and on this book He swore anon that guilty she was and in the meanwhile's a hand him smote upon the neck bone that down He fell at once as a stone and both his eye and broced out of his face in sight of everybody in that place Oh, sorry my headphones are actually playing our intro music because I love me fix that Okay, great. So basically the guy as the guy swears that she's guilty He gets smacked on the back of the head falls down and his eyes pop out. Okay, but he's still alive Oh, which is weird. Yeah, yeah, and then they basically the king says well clearly this guy was a liar So we're gonna kill him and they kill him and then he's like, you know what also this girl She's clearly pretty nice and she's everyone says she's rad and she's awfully cute.
So I think I'm gonna marry her Okay, great. So King Allah who at this point is also like God seems to be on her side Right like if you mess with your eyes are popped out, right? Yeah, exactly and the funny thing is there's no real good explanation of what happens It says a hand smote him on the neck bone So like it's either heavenly hand or just some dude from in the crowd's like him knocks him over and then there's a voice that says Basically, she's she's a daughter of the holy church She's awesome just randomly and it doesn't say again whether it's God or just like some guy from the background going She's great shot off. I got right he decides to To marry this girl and they get married and then it's great except for his mom Oh, really?
Yeah, I feel like this is like the evil stepmother archetype. It's a message of the story Yeah, and her name is Dona Guild and she is not really having it and she doesn't want to she's pegging No, she's I think she just doesn't like it very much and she's not into it and and so the King and his new wife go to bed As is a thing that they do and still do they'd still do and I know this is weird to kind of highlight But it says the Gonsabed as it was scyle and right for though that wives be full holy things They must take in patience at night such manner Necessaries has been pleasing stuff that had wedded him with rings and basically marriage, you know There's a thing you have to do. We're gonna get to why that's important. I promise you this I know that's strange in this story, but it's just the way that they're talking about it is if it's like yeah It's just you know one of those unfortunate realities marriage And that's the way that the man of law talked about it like sometimes I mean she's super chaste But you know she got married she kind of has to yeah, right?
That's kind of how he talked about it. Okay, so the King returns to the front and then she has a kid Or like she's with child and and then she has it and then so they send a messenger to the king They say like hey got a baby boy, and it's awesome and it's wrong. No say the this king is good Yeah, he's he's off fighting and she had a kid and so she sends a message But the messenger stops by the the Queen Donigill's house and he's like hey you've got a kid You know you got a granddaughter congratulations, and she's like oh, that's great Why don't you stay here all night and we'll all send you off tomorrow morning? So she plies him with ale and then replaces the letter with something else oh So the letter to the king is different now on our region the letter spake the queen delivered was of so horrible a fiendly creature Then in the castle none so hard he was that any wild dorced there in Durer The mutter was an elf by adventure he come in by charms or by sorcery and every white hateth her company Basically the child is nasty the moms and elf and everyone doesn't want to hang out with either of them And so the king gets this letter and he is just grieved and he writes back Welcome the son of Christ forever more to me that I'm now learned in his lore because he's converted as well Lord Welcome by the lust and I pledge once my lust I put in all nine ordinance Keepeth this child all be it foul or fair and eat my wife unto my homecoming Christ when him list may send me an air more agreeable than this to my liking basically keep him I'll figure out what's gonna happen when I come home And hopefully he'll give me a good air instead of a goblin right yep So he has a good reaction to this he does he's a really good rich was rad king Yeah, well the messenger stops by the queen stops again on the way back and she finds it and replaces the first time she gave You food and drink right was awesome I know so he goes back and stops and while she replaces the letter again and the letter now reads the king command of his constable anon up pain of hanging and on hide justice That he should suffer and in no wise custus in with his realm four to abide three days and a quarter of a tide But in the same ship as he her found higher and her young son and all her gear He should put and crowd her for the land and charge her that she never F come there basically But you and your goblin kid are going on a boat Yeah, we're gonna we're gonna send you off and so she gets this letter she thinks it's from the king and oh man They put her on the boat so sad and she even pleads at one point She's like constable you please have mercy and let my child live here with you and if not at least kiss him And so he doesn't let it stay he kisses it and then they send send the girl off And she says farewell husband ruthless and up she wrist and walk it down the strong toward the ship Oh that mom's gonna get in trouble.
Yeah. Yeah, so she leaves and the king comes home and the constable says Lord As you commanded me on pain of death, I have done certain like I don't know ditch Which you want to do and he finds out and he is furious and he then goes and kills his mom as a trader Wow, he is mooders lough as what it says is moving. Yeah, yeah, so the woman and the child are on the boat for five years Wow at one point they stop at a small pagan country I don't think it really says which one and everyone comes down is like well check out that boat and that lady that's weird And then at night a thief comes on board and says basically I'm going to be your lover whether you'd like me to be or not and she is given a holy strength by Mary and she Chuck's immovable yeah, so she escapes that that problem and then again So I'm gonna read you a little piece of he's been full oh foul lust of luxury lo thine end not only that thou faintest men's men But very very little to his body shend the end of thy work or thy lusts blind is complaining How many one may men find that not for work sometime before they intend to done this in then other slain or shend basically lust is bad Bad news don't ever go there. It's bad.
So we kind of have a meanwhile So she is sailing around the ship for five years with and I don't pretend to know how it works to raise a child from zero to five On a ship while sailing alone stuff. Yeah, yeah, when we're reading it in the single mothers Yeah, by themselves when we read it I was like, you know, I wouldn't have been surprised if she showed up in Rome And she's like, yeah, it's just me nobody else was on this ship with me just me See you later So we find out that meanwhile the the king of Rome has figured out what happened to his daughter and Found out that everybody got killed and so he sends a dispatch of a Senator and a bunch of guys to go and basically take revenge to our lunar to Syria to Syria Yeah, so they all go to Syria They kill the Syrian mother and all her people and sort of get good solid revenge and then on the way back as they sail They go in our thumber. No, they do run into her They see a boat and she's like hey and then they track her down and they bring her back and she has no idea But I think it's that this man's wife is her aunt So she ends up living with this senator and her aunt and she doesn't know but I don't know that it's her They don't know that it's her and she is just happy as a clam and having a good time I mean this isn't a time when there's television so you don't always know what people look like right you may have heard that the King's daughter was chased and wonderful and beautiful But you'd have no idea that's actually true and so she's living with these people and it goes really well and for several years And then eventually King Allah of North Ireland feels really bad about killing his mom And so he's like man I have got to go make some penance for this going on pilgrimage Yeah, so where do you go for penance boys Rome Rome Rome and so he contacts the senator and he's like hey Can you set me up some lodging and set me up some time in Rome? So center does and he comes down and the senator goes and he takes Maurice Which is the name of this child that has been had by Constance and Maurice looks spot on like Constance like exactly And so they go and they have dinner with all and all starts looking at that kid He's like oh boy, that's weird.
Yeah, and he's like where Where did you find this kid that amount about and they're like yeah, I'm a boss weird girl Brought her home and he's like for reals take me to her and so he goes and he finds her and what do you think her reaction is? She's she's probably ticked because she thought he said I'm on a boat. Oh, she's terrified Yeah, she's absolutely mortified and she says she goes like stiff as a tree and can talk and can't think and can't think And she thought he wants to kill her and yeah She thought he'd sent it sent her to certain death and so he basically says it wasn't me It was my mom like please forgive me and he pleads any pleads any pleads and finally gets through to her and it works out and then They together Want to go and have dinner with the Roman Emperor like the actor actually her dad and so they set it up And she goes and she kneels down and she says you have forgotten your daughter and he's like no I didn't welcome back girl and basically it's blessed and he they get married I mean they are married but basically he blesses the marriage and they head back to Northumberland and there you go I believe we're after actually no oh The men of law is like yeah, but bliss doesn't last as everyone in this world knows and King all that died a year later Oh, which is so sad so she got her stuff I got a year though and then back home and run with all of her friends and no yeah the end that's the end of that story interesting So you're saying it's like an allegory or feels like an allegorical history of like the spread of Christianity or at least how they would have thought about in the Middle Ages to fall system tries to go east and then runs into opposition runs into opposition in fake Conversions and and then a power that they can't fight in in Islam And so then it goes west and it goes to England and obviously this is an England centric story because it's being told by an Englishman so and then she goes and she goes to the pegging kings and they they agree with it and accept it and then there's all sorts of crazy things that happen and then he goes back and forth and yeah It just sort of feels like there's something going on with either an allegory talking about Constancy as a virtue and like just sort of always Sort of trusting that God is going to that if you are someone who loves God and trusts God You will eventually God will sort of write all the wrongs in your life and the wrongs will have turned out to be okay And that's in like maybe part of the plan all along Maybe it's that kind of story or could be just sort of like an allegorical telling of the spread of the faith in England I know there's tons of those kinds of stories Especially and they're always ones of like the virtue of a girl virtuous girl who's forced to marry or Mary's the pagan king And then he gets converted because he sees how virtuous she is and all these kinds of things So there was a famous story that I know was the one of Ethel Dreda Which is if you're looking for a girl's name maybe if I have a girl Ethel Dreda is probably my that's my top choice But she was one of those if one of those virtuous cray Christians who married pagan king and then the pagan kings like alright Well, we're married we're gonna have a child She's like I don't want to sleep with you and then he's like well You got it cuz her my wife and then like an angel came in and was like actually you're not Picking king was like oh crap. You know, there's just stories like that So it just sounds like it could be having that sort of allegorical kind of aspect to it.
Well, I didn't really like the name right Constancy Yeah, I'm gonna highlight the name the the holiness aspects of it But there he has these big a sides where he's like and who but Christ could have preserved her on those five years on the boat right Yeah, and it was him on the cross that made sure that she traveled for like just over and over again He harps on Christ's faithfulness and obviously her faithfulness is sort of a piece of that right if she is faithful God is faithful and yeah, there are there's sort of some moral lessons to draw there Which leads us to the wife of bath hmm now wife of bath is a little bit older. She's gapped hoothed She wears pretty nice clothes and she has a hat as wide as a buckler. It says so a big big shield she wears on her head She's been married five times. Yep, and she's married five times and I think I they died they died Yeah, married widowed.
It's not like she's been trained a black widow Not like you know Pretty rich and I remember between the fourth and the fifth she was kind of into the fifth at the wedding of the fourth So another wedding the funeral, you know Like she's entaring her old husband and she's like that guy over there carrying the casket is pretty cute These things happen. Can't judge it. Yeah. Yeah, so weirdly enough with the wife of bath her prologue or her in between You know between the tales when we kind of flashback to the pilgrimage that they're making is longer than her actual tale Huh and basically she starts talking about marriage at the beginning She's like well, you know what?
Chastity might be important, but nowhere does God forbid or demand chastity nowhere We told that we have to be virgins and she she also's like and if you guys want virgins where you guys gonna get them except other people Who are doing other things like you can't have everybody be virgins still have people and she goes on and she says yeah Marriage isn't for everybody, but it is definitely for me. Okay. I love marriage and then we get some details about how she controls her Husbands and mostly it's through nagging and if she wants something she'll say why does this wife get what she wants? And I don't get what I want and and then she also talks about how she wants to go out at night She kind of does it by underhanded flattery where she'll say I have to go out to watch the houses of other women that are beautiful So that you don't visit them basically I need to make sure that you are faithful And that's why I go out at night And then she gets to go out and do whatever she wants to because her husband believes that she is being extra super faithful And she talks a little bit about her fourth husband who liked to dance and drink and she also liked to drink and then they would have a good time together and then her fifth husband who basically all day would read in a book about unfaithful wives and tried to rule her and Tell her what to do it was like one of the only times when she felt ruled by a man and Just all day long he'd be like here's an example of a bad wife here's an example of bad wife here's an example of bad wife And she just about had it so that one day he was reading by the fire she tore page out of his book Which now isn't really a big deal right you can find like penny copies on Amazon back then a book is hand-coffee'd right That's it's incredibly expensive So she tears it out and then basically she loves him into the fireplace and he burns his bum a little bit So he stands up and he slaps her whoa and she hits the floor and starts bleeding out her head Like he hits a real good and then she wakes up and she's like what have you done?
And basically guilt him into submitting to her from then on out and so from then on out he basically does everything she says and so her whole Monologue at the beginning is about marriage about how women can control husbands about the nature of marriage about the nature of women about how Sex is a good thing and about how all of these things come together So I'll read to the tale and then we can sort of talk about the two tales in comparison So her tale begins she says in a time where elves and magical things exist Right and it's drinking Arthur's time and King Arthur had in his house a lusty bachelor But on a day came writing from river and happened that alone as he was born he saw a maid walking him before So she was out in front of him of which made an on Magri her heed by very force. He raved her maiden head So basically he raped this poor girl and news got out right It's a small town immediately gets back to the king and the king is like you know the penalty for this It's death you have to die and all of the maids of the quarter like please don't kill him That's kind of sad so I mean let's do something else and so yeah Yeah, they all clean his behalf and then the king says all right Well, I'll hand him over to the queen and the queen can do what she wants and so the queen says Thou stand us yet in such a ray that of thy life yet has thou no surety I grant thee life if thou can't tell me what thing is it that women most desire be war and keep thy neck bone from iron Basically if you can tell me what women most want then you live and she's like if you can't tell me right now I'm gonna give you 12 months to figure it out So he leaves and for 12 months he runs like the most expansive interview campaign you've ever seen in your life And just ask women what they want so I On the way over here think about this podcast I was wondering where I would ask you guys questions and this is what I wanted to ask you like What is it that women really want but I think that this question is so incredibly dangerous. Yeah, I see this going poorly I mean, I can't I'm a bachelor clearly. I have no idea.
I guess it's kind of funny though Because essentially Chaucer is the one answering this question right. Yep. So it'd be a man who's answering that question. I Recurse myself.
Yeah, I'm like a magician I think Graham is an answering. I don't think he wants to answer him. Yeah, um, this is like the plot of isn't this the plot of The movie shoot what women want no, no, there's not one, but there's also it's like the plot of uh, it's like how is a guy in 10 days Isn't he I don't think so that was about like the the ugly pretty girl right where they they're like you know No, no, no that one's about where he's like needs to oh, you're right. That's 10 things.
I hate about you Not like I intend to get to this anyway, whatever it is there. Yeah, doesn't matter Okay, so he goes on a thing and he fights a bunch of different answers one of them is they love richest best One of them is jolliness right jolly just what I have fun. I like to have fun They want lust a bed. They want to be widowed and wed basically getting married a whole bunch of times That's what they like best huh?
He's who's he interviewing to find these answers? I mean just when all the places anybody can ask he's like what do you want most and they'll answer him and then one of them says To be flattered right be flattered and pleased and then the life of bath gets coming to me on this she says he goes full Neither the truth. I will not lie a man shall win us best with flatter eye and that's her little side commentary So it's pretty good answer And then she says he all we also like to be free and do what we would like and not be reprieved for our own vice like not be told What we're doing wrong and just do whatever we like? That we behold still and keep secrets that's what we like and then she gives a few examples of people Secrets and one that can't keep a secret you guys know this story of Midas from Ovid This is what she brings up so Midas King Midas judged a Musical competition this is the same king Midas that had the golden touch but this was I think after his gold scenario So he judged a competition between Pan and Apollo on music and who should win who should win that?
Apollo yeah, he's the god of music and also all was pan have a pan It's not gonna win and so Midas judged pan the winner and so in return Apollo gave him donkeys ears And so he would hide it under a turban and then he went to his barber and he told the barber And you can't tell anybody about this and the barber could not keep the secret And so he went out dug a hole and then whispered it into the hole always for the secret in the hole And then the weeds all grew up out of the hole the reeds and then they whispered it as people walked by They've got donkeys here like this in her in the wife of bats version She actually gets the tail wrong She says it's the wife that goes down and whispers it to some water and then she's like if you want the rest of the tail You can go and read over it She doesn't actually tell you the end of it that's funny So he interviews me interviews me interviews and he's so confused and he's like I can't I can't figure it out And then as he's traveling back to meet the Queen completely out of losses what to say he sees a big gaggle of dancing girls Young girls just like just dancing for happens. Yeah, what's going on? Yeah, so as he comes to it they vanish and their place is left an old woman and she's like hey What's going on and he's like well? I got this whole situation and she's like okay listen to this I'll make you a deal if if you will grant me a favor I will grant you the truth of this and he's like fine great favors bonus whatever And she's like you true shake on it and he shakes on it and then she says okay let's go and then they go to the Queen and He they come and everybody's there and he's like She she the Queen asks all right.
What's the answer and he says my liege lady generally women desire to have sovereignty as well over her husband as her love and for to been in mace tree him above This is your most desire though. You need to kill do it as your list I am here at your will basically women want to be in charge of their husband and their love and be masters over them So what do you guys think happened? Oh, you feel like you're in a lot of green degrees the Queen agrees and he saved the Queen agrees because every every woman in the crowd is like So basically no one no one objects all the widows and all the young women all the married women are like guys Kind of right and so he gets to keep his life, okay, and then the the old oh I don't know What ever is he got to marry me? Oh?
Is it yeah? He promised me a favor isn't that true and the guys like it's true. I promise her a favor And she's like all right be my husband what no and the Queen is like sorry. It's got to happen like a lesson bachelor so They can marry and she's like I would tell you what a beautiful scene it was of all the revelry and the joy She's like but there wasn't right basically that morning in Slemity he went her quietly and in secret and then they went home and he's just super bummed out and then their wedding night comes And he is not having a good time right constrained He was he needs most her wed and take it his old wife and go with Tibet and He's just the to which and she's like what's your deal?
She's just sort of lying there smiling and he's like turning around kind of just well He just can't handle everything and he says I say there was no joy at feast at all There is not but heavy niche. Oh, no, this is a time about the wedding Anyway, she's just like what's your deal and he's like I I don't like it I don't like that you're old and I don't like any of this stuff and he you are you're kind of old and gross and you're from a bad Family and you're not virtuous and show so she actually and rebuts each of his points This is this is one of the longest pieces of the tale. She's like if gentlemanliness comes from you know My lineage then no, I don't have lineage But I've met many a man who doesn't have a good lineage and is good right fire burns is bright no matter what family It comes from or what home it's in right? So if that's the deal then it's not that right?
I can be virtuous without having a good lineage and yes I am poor but so was Jesus and he wouldn't choose to have what he eat it. Yeah, yeah eat it basically and she's like yes I'm old but that's and kind of ugly it, but isn't that pretty good assurance that I'm not gonna cheat on you? Okay, right and he's like, okay, if you want to be happy for the rest of you I don't want to bring up that song but that's all I thought of as I read this deal some maybe no if you want to be happy for The rest of your life never make a pretty woman your wife so from my personal point of view get another girl to marry you Yeah, yeah, I was alive in the 50s. I was my favorite song.
Oh, I don't listen only some apparently not yeah anyway So she basically rebuts him at every point and then says but if you're having problems you get to choose I will be young and faithless right and people leave visiting your house all day to hang out with me or I will be old and Completely faithful and true and good to you all right. What do you think you choose? I hope he chooses the second Oh and faithful. Yeah, because you know there's I Know there's happiness in a a virtuous home.
Yeah, that seems like the right answer Boys, I think you had had a rough time My lady and my love and wife so dear I put me in your wise governance She's it yourself which may be most pleasant and most honor to you and me also I do not force force the weether of the two weether is a great word by the way for as you like it It's a vice of me then have I got of yamay street kochi sin. I may choose and govern has me last yes certain wife Quokey I hold the best kiss me quote she we be no longer wrote for by my truth I will be yeah, both this to be saying you both fair and good I pray to God that I might starve and would basically I'm gonna be both She's like because you have given me the mastery I get to be young and I'm going to be true And she's like and if you don't believe me draw the curtain And he like opens the curtain and the light streams in and she's beautiful and young and fair and he's like well hot Dang I made a good one and then they get together and live happily ever after and The wife of Beth with him under with him under her thumb. Yes. Here's like him under her thumb.
I love it I know bring those two tails together gentlemen. Mm-hmm. If you can I am what's the thread the thread is is marriage both happy endings? I'm drawn blank on not about the character of Constance But Constance doesn't rule over someone else like the old lady at the end of the second story.
Yeah never but Constance is I don't know strong character. She makes it through a bunch of really crazy stuff. That doesn't really apply. I don't know Oh, no the dude the night and the second one doesn't like divorce the old woman and he doesn't break his promise What you could have tried to do he like is Constant he's loyal in his val and he gets what he actually wanted.
Oh fine. I'm good people I like that and this one the woman seems to be in charge of of the story Whereas the other one Constance there seems to be at the mercy of the story Yeah I think I think in number one and remember remember how he portrayed the marriage bed right she's pure and you only have to go to The marriage bed Like you have to and it's a bummer and it's not a piece of real life or at least it shouldn't be of a real virtuous person And I think that Constance is consistently submitting to her husband's in the will of her husband's right husband says get in a boat and go And she says yes husband I will right he says marry me again And she's like yes husband I will she puts herself below all the men in the story I think the wife of Bath Story is a direct retaliation against his story Okay, where she's like I see your peaceful wife and I give you a counterpoint Here is what should actually happen right men should be below and she as a wife who consistently rules her husband Like I don't think her character could ever be mistaken for that of Constance Right and then so she gives a tale where the guy ends up getting what's good for him when he submits to the woman I guess like a reaction to the first story so then but Chaucer doesn't like say one of them is better than the other No Chaucer gives no comment The only time Chaucer ever appears in the tale is when the man of law offhand refers to him And he's like I'm gonna try but Chaucer can do it just as well I can't like I think he even calls him kind of a brickhead with rhyme It's like the kind of insult Chaucer on the way as they go It was kind of funny But Chaucer doesn't make any sort of evaluations and this isn't the first time that he's done that like opposing tales sure Right the Miller and the Reeve told tales about each other and then the man of law tells one about marriage where marriage is this Chase wonderful thing and then the wife of Bath gives this counterpoint like more yeah like Comedy is sort of like romantic comedy kind of thing. Yeah, but but it's just sort of fascinating that Chaucer can have such different voices When his characters But he's writing all these stories. Yeah, and even as you go he'll change the meter So the meter for the the man of law is AB AB B CC So I know that's for those of you who don't understand or haven't ever been taught in the rhyming thing So that that's a rhyme scheme so AB AB would be like I once bought a truck and took it on the road I ran over a duck and then over a toad right so AB AB truck road duck toad And so his is AB AB B another rhyme and then CC a rhyming couplet everywhere else even in the introductions It's rhyming couplets including the wife of Bath So occasionally he'll switch into a different rhyme a different meter and it really does have different Character the man of law talks repeatedly about faithfulness about Christ and brings it into his tail and everything's well organized And some of the storytellers will be like well I don't have enough time so I can really go into this and they'll move on where some storytellers don't do that They have their tail all planned out.
It's it is impressive the depth and the span that Chaucer has over his his voice Yeah, so any thoughts about the tales? No, they're delightful. I'm going to read it. How far into the story is this like what percent of the Canterbury Tales is having on so far?
Oh, man, I don't know like a Fourth, okay, maybe so there's a lot more stories that come after this. Yeah, there are some more stories I don't know how many more I'm gonna do on the podcast I really enjoy them I think they're just a hoot and a half and I don't know when they're gonna stop being beneficial to talk about on air Or if you guys are gonna sick of them if you have an opinion let us know and I can move on and do something else But man Chaucer's the hoot are like them cool. Yeah Well, thank you for listening that's been classical stuff You should know if you are going on pilgrimage, you know Just tell your own stories and if you do that send them our way and unless they're like the Miller's tail Then we'll have to read it off here. Yeah, let's all read on but you know So we said in the mail not email But if you have questions or comments you can email us at classical stuff at veritaskemi.net You can tweet at us at classical stuff clss C al stuff on the twits you can find our episodes on classical stuff net and Yeah, if you have ideas of episodes or things that we got wrong tweet us or email us and we will respond or We won't or we won't know we will try to respond although we are coming up to the busy season of life of teachers, right?
Um, and but yeah, so this is Graham AJ and Thomas sign it off