Patient Griselda In The Clerk's Tale

It has been known for a long time that every single person in the world follows, at least partially, a particular pattern of behaviour. If someone is conscious of it or not, it is very natural to act similarly to the people who live in our surrounding, that is why such person can not be perceived either as positive or negative, he or she has an ambiguous nature. This paper will try to show how strongly people may be influenced by the environment where they live and customs which must be followed. It will help to notice the positive and negative features of the character from "The Clerk's Tale".

A good example is a story about Patient Griselda. She may be criticised and judged very unfairly due to her nondescript demeanour. To

She tends to arouse controversy. Firstly, Patient Griselda represents other women as the weak and really hopeless creatures who do not have any rights and are totally dependent on the men. Without men's instructions and help they are not able to do some particular activities. It means that wives should be fully submissive to their husbands who do not show any respect for them. That is why, the acts of Griselda seem to be absurd. Secondly, she does not have a high self-esteem, every time she allows the king to take an advantage of her. Griselda has become his object, she does not have her own mind. No matter what she decides to do, because she degrades herself each time. Griselda fulfil the king's every single whim, even though it hurts her. She behaves as if she were his servant, not a wife. Her husband does not consider her as a queen or attractive woman due to her descent. To his mind, she is much worse than him, an obedient peasant who will never say "no". Thirdly, the king has difficulty in trusting and confiding her, in spite of fulfilling his will impeccably. There is no need for him to test Griselda, if he really loved her, he would not test her so badly. Additionally, Griselda need not have been tested to prove her worthiness. She is a perfect, beautiful and wise lady. Patient Griselda can be powerful and independent, if she wants to, but she does not use it. It is a pity, that she takes no advantage of her trumps. Griselda should manipulate her husband, because she would have the world at her feet. She does not have to be the obedient and humiliated, poor wife. But a prominent queen, filling her whole duties and taking care of all people who live in the kingdom. In addition, That story might be received as unrealistic one, so it has no meaning in today's world, it does not appeal to the others. It is believed that nobody consents to such treatment and neither of