Summary of the Clerk's Tale
From the Canterbury Tales

{This was one of the many papers that I wrote in My senior english class}

          In Saluzo, a town on the western shore of Italy, there ruled a marquis named Walter. His advisors were continually asking him to choose a wife. He chose a woman named Griselda, a very poor yet beautiful woman, to marry. As part of the proposal he made her promise to do whatever he wanted. She agreed and they were married.
          Through the years she grew in grace and kindness. It became hard to tell that she was ever poor. The day came that she bore a baby girl. Walter, wanting to test her, had the baby taken away one night and given to his sister to care for her. He didn’t tell Griselda that the child was alive, she thought that he had killed her.
          Four years later Griselda bore a son. Walter, wanting to test her even more, did the same with the boy as he had done with the girl. Yet Griselda never gave a sign of sorrow, not even an expression of grief on her face. She was faithful to her word.
          A few years later Walter wanted to test his wife again. He told her that he was going to divorce her and remarry. He made her return home with nothing but a simple smock to cover her. A few days later, he came to her. He told her that he wanted to have a big party for his new bride. He said that he didn’t have a way to decorate the hall to his liking and that he wanted her to come and decorate the hall for him. She agreed.
          In the middle of the party Walter walked up to her and asked her what she thought of the woman he was going to marry. She, showing no sorrow or sign that she was jealous, said that she was beautiful and that he had made a good choice.
          Walter then realized that she was faithful to him and to her word. He explained everything that he had done. He told her that the young maiden was her daughter and the boy sitting next to her was her son. He then reassured her that he was not divorcing her and gave her back all her treasures and fancy clothes. He told her that it was to test her. He was sorry if it hurt her in any way.
          The moral of the story is that as Griselda showed such patience to a man, how much more should we be patient in all the things God does in our lives. We know he will never tempt us beyond what we are able to bear.

Written by:
Jonathan Johnston


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