From Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", The Clerk's Tale, Table of Contents

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The Canterbury Tales

From Geoffrey Chaucer's
The Canterbury Tales:

The Clerk's
Prologue and Tale
(About)

Middle-english hypertext

001-056: The Clerk's Prologue

057-196: The Clerk's Tale, 1st Part

197-448: The Clerk's Tale, 2nd Part

449-609: The Clerk's Tale, 3rd Part

610-784: The Clerk's Tale, 4th Part

785-938: The Clerk's Tale, 5th Part

939-1219: The Clerk's Tale, 6th Part

Modern and middle english side by side

The Clerk's Prologue

001-020: The Host asks the Clerk to tell a tale

021-056: The Clerk announces a tale that he has learned from Francis Petrarch

The Clerk's Tale

First Part

057-077: About Lord Walter the marquis

078-084: Lord Walter is not married

085-140: Lord Walter's subjects ask him to marry

141-161: Lord Walter consents to marriage

162-175: Lord Walter stipulates some conditions

176-196: The people agree to Lord Walter's conditions

Second Part

197-210: About a poor village and its poorest inhabitants Janicula and his daughter Griselda

211-231: About Griselda, the fairest under the sun

232-245: Lord Walter's thoughts about Griselda

246-266: The preparation of the wedding

267-287: On the wedding day, Walter goes to the village

288-315: Walter stops at Janicula's house and asks him for the hand of Griselda

316-322: Janicula consents

323-350: Walter asks Griselda to marry him

351-364: Griselda consents

365-392: The wedding of Walter and Griselda

393-441: About Griselda's renown and reputation

442-448: Griselda gives birth to a daughter

Third Part

449-462: Lord Walter intends to test his wife Griselda

463-497: Lord Walter says to Griselda he has to do with her daughter 'what is best'

498-511: Griselda submits herself to her husband's will

512-525: Walter leaves and sends a sergeant to Griselda's room

526-539: The sergeant says to Griselda he has come to take the child

540-574: Griselda gives her child a goodbyekiss and the sergeant leaves with the child

575-595: Walter orders the sergeant to bring the child secretly to Bologna

596-609: Despite the loss of her child, Griselda's mood and splendour have not changed

Fourth Part

610-616: After four years, Griselda gives birth to a son

617-630: Two years later, Walter tests his wife Griselda once more

631-644: Walter explains there are doubts about his son's nobleness

645-672: Griselda again submits herself to Walter's will

673-686: The sergeant takes the boy and secretly brings it to Bologna

687-721: Despite the loss of her second child, Griselda's mood and splendour remain unchanged

722-735: Lord Walter subjects speak ill about him

736-756: Lord Walter orders to counterfeit and produce a papal bull that orders him to remarry

757-784: Lord Walter writes a letter to Bologna to send back his children and orders not to reveal their lineage

Fifth Part

785-791: Lord Walter tests his wife Griselda once more

792-812: Walter says he wishes to remarry and he asks Griselda to return to her father's house

813-861: Griselda consents once again and shows the ultimate submissiveness

862-896: Griselda asks Walter not to send her away naked

897-917: Griselda returns to her father's house

918-938: Griselda endures her fate and nothing distorts her mind and integrity

Sixth Part

939-966: Walter tests Griselda once again and asks her to be a servant in order to receive his new wife according to her stature

967-980: Griselda submits herself once again and cleans the house

981-1008: The new girl arrives in town

1009-1029: Griselda works and receives Lord Walter's guests

1030-1036: Walter asks Griselda how she likes his new wife

1037-1043: Griselda asks Walter not to test his new wife like he has tested her

1044-1078: Walter is done testing Griselda and he reveals that his bride is actually her (and his) daughter

1079-1106: Griselda swoons from emotions

1107-1127: A happy end and Griselda is again queenly dressed

1128-1141: Nothing but peace and prosperity

1142-1176: The moral of the Clerk's tale

1177-1212: Lenvoy de Chaucer

1213-1219: The Host comments on the Clerk's tale