The Clerk's Tale

When an eclectic group of pilgrims take turns telling tales while on the road to Canterbury Cathedral, the Clerk of Oxford, a learned man, sets out to tell a moral and educational story for his fellow pilgrims. He tells the tale of Griselda, a beautiful young peasant girl chosen by the marquis to be his bride. Although Griselda’s husband loves her, he is afraid she will betray him in some way, and sets out to test her in various ways over the course of their marriage.

“The Clerk’s Tale,” is one of the most memorable tales from Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, and the Clerk is often considered to be responding to the tale and prologue of The Wife of Bath. This special edition of “The Clerk’s Tale,” includes “The General Prologue,” “The Clerk’s Prologue,” and “The Clerk’s Tale” in original Middle English and modern translated versions.

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