Speech on Virtues of Married life 55-180 Flashcards
“To take a wif it is a glorious thing”
Thinks a wife is an amazing thing
“Man is oold and hoor”
Emphasizes his old age
Contrast between old man and young woman
“Wyf the fruit of his tresor”
“Yong wif and a feir”
- The wife should be for bearing children, his real view
- Misogynistic, Chaucer is questioning medieval views
“Engrendren him an heir”
- Wants a boy
“Brid or as a beest, in libertee”
f
“Yok of marriage ybounde”
“Buxon as a wyf”
“You” harness, metaphor for tying people tobether
- There to serve him for his pleasures
"Who is so trewe, and eek so entenif?" "To kepe him" "She wole him nat forsake" "nat wery him to love and serve" "Thogh that he lye bedrede, til he serve"
Needs to be attentive to his needs, service
- Submissive
- Serve him and look after him in every single type of way
- Will not abandon or betray him (From Bible)
- She will be loyal
- Should care for him in sickness no matter what
“A wyf is goddes yifte verraily”
Wife is a gift from God
“londes, rentes, pasture, or commune or moebles, all been yiftes of fortune”
“Passen as a shadwe upon a wal”
Wife is better to own than all of these things
“A wif wol laste”
“Wel lenger than thee list”
A wife will last more than materialistic things
he guarantees
“Mariage is ful greet sacrement”
Merchant giving a spiritual speech
- Using religion to back up the argument
- The audience should question him
- Painting a picture of how a woman should be like and using biblical illusions
“In which that hath no wyf”
“He liveth helpless and al desolat”
A man who deosnt have a wife will live a sad life
“A wyf is mannes helpe and his confort”
“paradis terreste”
“So buxom and so vertuous is she”
“Moste nedes live in unitee”
Women were created for the sole purpose of helping men
- uses Adam and eve
- Paradise on each ( figurative language)
.”So buxom and so vertuous is she”
“Moste nedes live in unitee”
Thinks a wife is something you can purchase
and is perfect from the beginning
living an idealized life
“A wyf, a seint Marie, benedicte”
“How mighte a man han any advirsitee that hath a wyf”
Fells blessed
How can a man have problems if he has a wife
