According to Manne’s Historical Claim (#4), “historically oppressed people” typically endure mistreatment “due to their not being seen as full human beings in the first place, or [being] dehumanized shortly thereafter, often due to the influence of dehumanizing propaganda” (p. 145). Do we see any examples of this mistreatment and/or dehumanization of female characters in Chaucer’s Clerk’s Tale? If so (or if not), what does this imply about the text and its greater historical context?
Medieval Feminism
ENGL 361 and WGST 322 | Spring 2020 | Dr. Myra Seaman
To modern readers, the Clerk’s tale resonates as a very cruel story. We could not imagine marrying a man and accepting that you must give your two children away for what seems to be no reason and then being tricked into thinking you are getting divorced. That plot shows that from the beginning Griselda was not valued as an equal in her relationship, and much less as a human being. During this time period though, I feel as though the author’s intent was to show that in the end, good will come to a good wife. However, taking away someone’s children for many years is definitely dehumanizing to Griselda as she had no say in the issue and had already promised that she would honor any request that Walter gave her.
Throughout the entire story Griselda is dehumanized, specifically because of her sex and social rank before marriage. It was interesting that Walter disliked marriage because he felt as though he would not have his own freedom; he is a white, high ranking, wealthy marquis. No one appears to physically able to remove his freedom, so his fear seems extremely irrational. Without considering what his future wife may want, he arranges a date for the wedding, then asks Griselda to marry him on the day of the arranged marriage, while also asking her to give up any freedoms she has to be completely subservient to him. This is dehumanizing because he removes anything personal about her as he wants her to center her whole life around him, making her completely selfless, which she already is (she takes care of her father and works until she falls asleep). Even women charged to dress her reluctantly touch her because she is viewed as disgusting because of her social class. Though she is beautiful and a good person, her low class automatically dehumanizes her. When she is crowned and cleaned, there is a sudden change in opinion about and her local villagers suddenly seem to brag about her goodness when they viewed her as nothing special before. Yet, people still have reluctance about her being married to Walter, but Walter seemed to have more issue with this more than anyone. He continually tested her as a wife, further dehumanizing her, seeing if she will “prove” herself as a good wife. He strips everything from her: her children, her clothing, and potentially her pride. This story was saddening, as I perceived it all as Walter shaping this kind, selfless woman into someone with no free will.
Griselda is constantly dehumanized throughout the Clerk’s tale due to her gender identity and social class. The king puts her through three tests in order to prove her love to him, but all of the tests cause Griselda to feel sad and unappreciated. Both of her children were taken away from her, and then, at the end of the tale was tricked into thinking that her husband was going to leave her as well. The king saw her as a tool to mess with, rather than as a human being, through these examples, and also through emotional abuse. He constantly puts her through emotional turmoil for his own selfish gain. The only time he shows remorse for doing what he did is in the final test, but even then the remorse came when it was almost too late. Not only is she dehumanized because she identifies as a woman, but also because she is a peasant. Due to her having such a low social class ranking, she is seen as an easy target to people of the upper class. Overall, this tale provides great examples of the dehumanization that occurs to oppressed people.
There is a constant dehumanization of Griselda that is present throughout “The Clerks Tale.” This dehumanization of Griselda is visible through the way in which her husband consistently tests her loyalty. This frames her as property rather than a human being- in a way, it is very similar to how prisoners are treated today. Griselda, unlike some inmates, have done nothing in order to deserve this treatment. This treatment stems from the fact that she is a woman born of lower class, and that the King harbors his own insecurities. The dehumanization of oppressed groups often stems from insecurities within the privileged group, especially when power is being threatened. The kings power is being threatened in this story because the people are requiring that he marry a woman, meaning women are holding some form of power over his head.
In addition to Griselda, the daughter is also dehumanized when she is talked about as a fake replacement for Griselda. When she is described, she is described as a “fairer fruit,” “more pleasing” and “more tender of age.” (988-991) This language is objecting and dehumanizes a woman to her outward appearance. It implies that everything that is valuable about this woman, his daughter, is connected with her looks and her ability to please others and what she can offer. In addition, she is compared to Griselda, her mother, and this constant comparing of women is dehumanizing in itself because it ranks and categorizes women as if they are objects and are replaceable. Overall the story shows a general dehumanization and mistreatment of Griselda as well as she suffers through the various tests her husband puts her though, as if she has to continuously earn her spot which, as mentioned above, has to do with both her gender and social rank.
We see many examples of mistreatment and/or dehumanization within Chaucer’s Clerk Tale through how Walter treats Griselda. Once marrying her, he demands that she obey him and never disagree because he is the Lord of the kingdom, and that gives him power and control over her and others. He tests his wife by intentionally trying to cause her pain, sadness, anger, and unfaithfulness, but she never cracks because she sees Walter as more than human because he is the higher power. He sees her as a subject just like everyone else and expects the same respect and obedience as he would from his subjects despite her being his wife. This implies that women were constantly dehumanized within this historical text, and they were socialized into believing that it was okay.
Griselda is presented as the victim of dehumanization throughout the book. The king is determined to test her loyalty and does so by taking away both of her new born children. He things that this is a good way to see if she’ll stay with him or leave because he was so cruel. He failed to realize the fact that she was a mother who had emotions and would be devastated by his actions, instead he just wanted to see how obedient she was. He treated his wife like a dog and didn’t really care about how taking away her kids or pretending to want to wed someone else would do to her overall emotional state because he didn’t see her as experiences the same emotions as he may have because she was dehumanized in his eyes.
On the topic of dehumanization of Griselda, which has already been heavily discussed, I’d like to address a different topic than the ones which tear Griselda down. There is a passage where she is introduced as being “sent from heaven/as men supposed/people to save and every wrong to amend”. This made me think heavily of the passage where Manne talks about how women are expected to give emotional labor that is expected of them from men. Griselda is already seen from the getgo as some heavensent problem solver, so it’s a short leap to expecting her to obey her husband’s every command.