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The Importance Of Free Will In The Franklin's Tale

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“The Franklin’s Tale”, one of the many stories comprising The Canterbury Tales. This tale is set in medieval Brittany about the uncanny marriage between the knight, Arveragus and his lady Dorigen. Specifically in “The Franklin’s Tale,” Chaucer’s view of life is shown, where it is governed by individuals with free will, and is not destined by fate. “The Franklin’s Tale” is a story of the free will of different characters that interfere and intertwine with one another, where every decision made and every outcome could have been prevented or avoided. The free will of each character is influenced by another with the central themes of love, honor, and the importance of promises. The three main characters of “The Franklin’s Tale” are, Dorigen, Arveragus and Aurelius.
The first actions of free will began with Arveragus, a courageous knight, who desired a wife. He found and married a young maiden, Dorigen. The marriage is based vow, with the principle that the couple will always respect one another, each of them will hold equal power in the marriage. The vow is odd and unheard of in a traditional sense, because of society’s expectation during that time dictated that men had power over women, they are not equal. This vow between Dorigen and Arveragus shows the …show more content…

Whether “The Franklin’s Tale” is looked at through Dorigen, Arveragus, or Aurelius. Dorigen refused to be unfaithful while her husband was away and continued to hold her honor, or Arveragus, who cared about honor and keeping a promise, or Aurelius, who was blinded by love. The free will of different characters interferes and intertwine with one another, where every decision made and every outcome could have been prevented or avoided, but was influenced by other people with the central themes of love, honor, and the importance of

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