An Exploration of Faith and the Christian marriage tradition in Chaucer’s The Man of Law’s Tale
In the Christian tradition, marriage is often referred to as a blessed union, a linking of two individuals in holy matrimony. While some may excuse the terminology as an overstatement, it serves as a signification of the close bond between the divine and earthly, the immortal and the mortal. Through a close reading of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Man of Law’s Tale, I will explore the Christian tradition of marriage and its roots in faith as it is no mere coincidence that the standard Christian marriage is held in a place of worship. Throughout the tale, Custance faces potential exile, death and other harrowing ordeals but survives and ultimately triumphs because of her unwavering faith and trust in God.
Close reading sections
- Lines 421-441 – Custance escapes death at the hands of the Sultan’s mother and flees
- Lines 519-538 – Custance is shipwrecked, she is rescued by a constable and immediately praises God
- Lines 1030-1055 – Alla fears that Custance died at sea
- Lines 1128-1148 – Impact of Custance as a wife to Alla
Preliminary source materials
- The Canterbury Tales
- Medieval Philosophy
- Chaucer: A European Life by Marion Turner (may choose a different Chaucer biography when I peruse the selection at the Susquehanna library tomorrow)
- “Discourse Strategies in the Marriage Dialogue of Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” by Mari Pakkala-Weckstrom, Neuphilologische Mitteilungen, Vol. 105, No. 2
- “Religious Elements in Chaucer’s Man of Law’s Tale” by John A. Yunck, ELH, Dec. 1960, Vol 27, No. 4
- “Miracles in “The Man of Law’s Tale” by William C. Johnson, Jr., The Bulletin of the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association, June 1974, Vol 28, No. 2