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The Canterbury Tales: The Franklin's Prologue

The Canterbury Tales: The Franklin's Prologue. James Chen. The Franklin ("Free Man"). Landowner Didn't serve a lord and not nobility either Optimistic and benign Lived for pleasure Connoisseur of food and wine  Table always ready for food. Franklin's Prologue.

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The Canterbury Tales: The Franklin's Prologue

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  1. The Canterbury Tales: The Franklin's Prologue James Chen

  2. The Franklin ("Free Man") • Landowner • Didn't serve a lord and not nobility either • Optimistic and benign • Lived for pleasure • Connoisseur of food and wine •  Table always ready for food

  3. Franklin's Prologue • Story originally told by Ancient Bretons • Franklin issues disclaimer regarding his storytelling skills • Calls self ignorant man • Asks audience to excuse his vulgar speech • Never studied rhetoric, speaks simply and plainly

  4. Franklin's Tale • Setting: Old Armorica (Now Brittany) •  Breton knight named Arviragus marries the beautiful Dorigen • Unlike the conventional marriage, based on equality • Neither was a master or servant • Franklin's Statement: •  If mastery enters marriage, love will flap its wings & fly away

  5. Franklin's Tale • Arviragus and Dorigen lived blissfully until Arviragus is sent to Britain for two years for work • Dorigen, deeply in love w/ Arviragus, becomes depressed • Friends try to comfort her, took her on walks near sea • Distressed by black rocks by shore that sunk ships

  6. Franklin's Tale • Friends take her to garden party/dance • Handsome, dancing squire named Aurelius confesses love to Dorigen • Had been in love w/ her for 2 years • Dorigen rejects Aurelius, "Never shall I become an untrue wife" • But she jests by saying she will only love him if he removes all the rocks from the coast • Aurelius depressed by the impossible task

  7. Franklin's Tale • Arviragus returns and Dorigen overjoyed • Aurelius' brother refers Aurelius to a law student skilled in illusion and magic for help •  The law student agrees to do it for 1000 pounds and does it • Dorigen is in a dilemma 

  8. Franklin's Tale • Must forfeit either body or reputation • Tells Aviragus, who is shocked and dejected • Aviragus tells wife to fulfill her promise • Aurelius learns of Aviragus' actions and frees Dorigen from her promise • The law student learns of Aurelius' deed and frees him from his debt • "Chain Reaction" • Franklin ends with the question: Which was most generous, do you think, and how? • How would you answer this question? • Why do you think the Franklin told this kind of story?

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