NET/SLET/TRB STUDY GUIDE
Date: 25-02-2018, Subject: English
Date: 25-02-2018, Subject: English
The poem narrates the tragic tales of ten good women in nine sections though Chaucer originally planned for twenty women. The poem is written from 1386 to 1388 and is known for Chaucer's first use of heroic couplet that many great writers employed later. On the prologue, on a spring day, Chaucer walks on a field enjoying the beauty of daisy flower that is the symbol of love to Chaucer not the rose. He falls asleep and in his dream he is accused by Cupid, the God of Love of presenting women misogynistically in earlier works such as Troilus and Cressida violating the laws of love and romance. His companion Alceste known for her fidelity comes for Chaucer's rescue advising him to write a legend of good women admired for their fidelity to their men. The result is this poem.
(I)The Legend of Cleopatra
Cleopatra becomes the queen of Egypt after the death of king Ptolemy. Rome with thirst for honour to bring the whole world under its feet sends Antony to win Egypt. Antony wins but the heart of Cleopatra and enslaved by love, dares to fight against Rome. However he and his Cleopatra couldn't stand against the mighty Rome and Caesar. He loses the battle and stabs himself ashamed of his defeat. Cleopatra flees to Egypt, mourns for Antony's death, digs a grave, fills it with poisonous serpents of Egypt and jumps into it nakedly. She receives the horrible death but with cheerful heart, all for her true love for Antony.
Cleopatra becomes the queen of Egypt after the death of king Ptolemy. Rome with thirst for honour to bring the whole world under its feet sends Antony to win Egypt. Antony wins but the heart of Cleopatra and enslaved by love, dares to fight against Rome. However he and his Cleopatra couldn't stand against the mighty Rome and Caesar. He loses the battle and stabs himself ashamed of his defeat. Cleopatra flees to Egypt, mourns for Antony's death, digs a grave, fills it with poisonous serpents of Egypt and jumps into it nakedly. She receives the horrible death but with cheerful heart, all for her true love for Antony.
II) The Legend of Thisbe
Queen Semiramis of Babylon builds a wall so high and strong in her city that separates the families of two lords on either side. Pyramas from the family on one side and Thisbe from a family on the other side fall in love with each other and exchange voices through the cleft in the wall. Love develops and now both curse the wall –“o wicked wall, why don't you slit and all fall in two?” One day, with no hopes of union supported by their stubborn families, they decide to steal away from the city and fix King Ninus' grave under a tree near the well as the meeting place. Thisbe who could not wait a long, daring to face the dangers of night for love, runs ahead to the place only to find a lioness with blood-stained mouth drink water from the well. She hides herself in the nearby cave. The lioness finds the veil fallen from her and tears it into pieces and leaves the place in despair. Pyramas who comes to the place mistakes Thisbe to be dead, curses his late arrival and kills himself in woes. Thisbe comes out but too late only to find Pyramas to leave his last breath. She embraces his corpse and in weeps kisses his cold lips. To show that a woman is no less true in love than man, she takes his sword nearby and strikes her to death taking a vow to follow Pyramas wherever he goes.
Queen Semiramis of Babylon builds a wall so high and strong in her city that separates the families of two lords on either side. Pyramas from the family on one side and Thisbe from a family on the other side fall in love with each other and exchange voices through the cleft in the wall. Love develops and now both curse the wall –“o wicked wall, why don't you slit and all fall in two?” One day, with no hopes of union supported by their stubborn families, they decide to steal away from the city and fix King Ninus' grave under a tree near the well as the meeting place. Thisbe who could not wait a long, daring to face the dangers of night for love, runs ahead to the place only to find a lioness with blood-stained mouth drink water from the well. She hides herself in the nearby cave. The lioness finds the veil fallen from her and tears it into pieces and leaves the place in despair. Pyramas who comes to the place mistakes Thisbe to be dead, curses his late arrival and kills himself in woes. Thisbe comes out but too late only to find Pyramas to leave his last breath. She embraces his corpse and in weeps kisses his cold lips. To show that a woman is no less true in love than man, she takes his sword nearby and strikes her to death taking a vow to follow Pyramas wherever he goes.
III) The Legend of Dido
Aeneas, after the fall of Troy, with his little child and old father, flees from Troy in grief losing his honour and inheritance. He sets his ships for Italy but beaten by tempest, separated by his men land on the land of Carthage with his companion Achates. Dido, the queen of Carthage, known for firing the whole world with her beauty, sees him in a temple and is impressed by the tales of earlier adventures by Aeneas and pities for his present state. She recovers his ships and his men who were lost in the ocean and gives them all joys and feasts they needed. Soon her pity turn into love for Aeneas. Tormented by her love she sighs sleeplessly and tosses and turns in bed. The next day she goes for hunting with Aeneas, and driven into a cave by sudden rain, Aeneas opens his heart, proposes her and vows to be with her truly all her life. They marry and and enjoy the blissful life. But Aeneas soon wearied of. Game of love, decides to resume his journey for Italy. Dido falls at his feet, implores him but all in vain. Leaving his sword and cloth, he steals away at night, sets sail for Italy with his men and there marries Lavinia . Dido dies in despair and grief striking herself with his sword after writing a letter of grief revealing the infidelity of Aeneas.
Aeneas, after the fall of Troy, with his little child and old father, flees from Troy in grief losing his honour and inheritance. He sets his ships for Italy but beaten by tempest, separated by his men land on the land of Carthage with his companion Achates. Dido, the queen of Carthage, known for firing the whole world with her beauty, sees him in a temple and is impressed by the tales of earlier adventures by Aeneas and pities for his present state. She recovers his ships and his men who were lost in the ocean and gives them all joys and feasts they needed. Soon her pity turn into love for Aeneas. Tormented by her love she sighs sleeplessly and tosses and turns in bed. The next day she goes for hunting with Aeneas, and driven into a cave by sudden rain, Aeneas opens his heart, proposes her and vows to be with her truly all her life. They marry and and enjoy the blissful life. But Aeneas soon wearied of. Game of love, decides to resume his journey for Italy. Dido falls at his feet, implores him but all in vain. Leaving his sword and cloth, he steals away at night, sets sail for Italy with his men and there marries Lavinia . Dido dies in despair and grief striking herself with his sword after writing a letter of grief revealing the infidelity of Aeneas.
Inspired by Chaucer, Christopher Marlowe wrote the Renaissance drama “Dido, the Queen of Carthage.” Shakespeare also refers to Dido in most of his plays including four times in the Tempest and twice in “Titus Andronicus”.
IV The Legend of Hypsipyle and Medea
Peleus is the king of Thessaly and grows jealous of the name and honour of Jason, his brother Aeson's son. Jason, one of the greatest Greek heroes is then sent to the island of Colchis to bring the rarest gold available there and being guarded by a dragon and two bulls. Without knowing that all this is but a trick by the king to kill him, Jason sets his sail for Colchis along with his friend Hercules. But on the way, he is received well by Hypsipyle, queen of Lemnos who falls in love with him after knowing his valour and honour through Hercules. Being falsely impressed by Jason and Hercules, Hypsipyle falls a victim to his pretended love. She is wedded to him and begets two children but to her great grief Jason leaves her for Colchis neglecting his vow of fidelity to her. She dies of grief and for her true love at last.
The continuation of this is the inbuilt legend of Medea:
Jason reaches Colchis venturing for the fleece of gold. He is hosted by the king and her daughter Medea who loves him for his valour and honour. She tells him that without her help, it's not possible to win the battle for the gold. He marries her by swearing that he will be faithful to her till he is alive. She explains in detail how to win the battle and makes him a victor. Without the knowledge of her father, he takes her and the rarest gold to Thessaly but on the way betrays her and leaves her to die out of grief in a lonely place. Being a traitor on love, he wedded another woman as a third wife and proved that nowhere a false lover can be found better than he.
Peleus is the king of Thessaly and grows jealous of the name and honour of Jason, his brother Aeson's son. Jason, one of the greatest Greek heroes is then sent to the island of Colchis to bring the rarest gold available there and being guarded by a dragon and two bulls. Without knowing that all this is but a trick by the king to kill him, Jason sets his sail for Colchis along with his friend Hercules. But on the way, he is received well by Hypsipyle, queen of Lemnos who falls in love with him after knowing his valour and honour through Hercules. Being falsely impressed by Jason and Hercules, Hypsipyle falls a victim to his pretended love. She is wedded to him and begets two children but to her great grief Jason leaves her for Colchis neglecting his vow of fidelity to her. She dies of grief and for her true love at last.
The continuation of this is the inbuilt legend of Medea:
Jason reaches Colchis venturing for the fleece of gold. He is hosted by the king and her daughter Medea who loves him for his valour and honour. She tells him that without her help, it's not possible to win the battle for the gold. He marries her by swearing that he will be faithful to her till he is alive. She explains in detail how to win the battle and makes him a victor. Without the knowledge of her father, he takes her and the rarest gold to Thessaly but on the way betrays her and leaves her to die out of grief in a lonely place. Being a traitor on love, he wedded another woman as a third wife and proved that nowhere a false lover can be found better than he.
V) The Legend of Lucretia
Rome sieges Ardea and the siege prolongs for many days. So tired of idly waiting in the siege, Tarquinius, Prince of Rome asks his soldiers to tell an interesting tale of their best wife that will ease the situation. Collatinus, one of the soldiers narrates the love and fidelity of his wife Lucretia and even challenges to test the truth by visiting his house in person. Collatinus takes the prince innocently to his house where the prince hides and watches his man bring kissed by his wife. The beauty of Lucretia strikes the prince with lust. The next day losing all his peace haunted by desire for Lucretia, he dares to go alone to her house stealthily. Threatening her with sword and bringing ill name to her husband as committed adultery, the prince rapes her. She begs for grace but all in vain. When he leaves, she calls her husband, family and friends and brings all to light. Forgiven by all, She however stabs herself since she could not forgive herself. Brutus vows to get the prince and all his relations banished and takes her body throughout the city to arouse people to revolt against the king. Lucretia, even before her death, looked down to ensure no part of her body is left bare and such a chasteful woman was she, a true martyr.
Rome sieges Ardea and the siege prolongs for many days. So tired of idly waiting in the siege, Tarquinius, Prince of Rome asks his soldiers to tell an interesting tale of their best wife that will ease the situation. Collatinus, one of the soldiers narrates the love and fidelity of his wife Lucretia and even challenges to test the truth by visiting his house in person. Collatinus takes the prince innocently to his house where the prince hides and watches his man bring kissed by his wife. The beauty of Lucretia strikes the prince with lust. The next day losing all his peace haunted by desire for Lucretia, he dares to go alone to her house stealthily. Threatening her with sword and bringing ill name to her husband as committed adultery, the prince rapes her. She begs for grace but all in vain. When he leaves, she calls her husband, family and friends and brings all to light. Forgiven by all, She however stabs herself since she could not forgive herself. Brutus vows to get the prince and all his relations banished and takes her body throughout the city to arouse people to revolt against the king. Lucretia, even before her death, looked down to ensure no part of her body is left bare and such a chasteful woman was she, a true martyr.
Lucretia's rape and suicide is the subject matter of Shakespeare’s poem “Rape of Lucrece”(1594) She is also main focus in Thomas Heywood's play “Rape of Lucretia” and Richardson’s novel “Pamela”
VI) The Legend of Ariadne of Athens
Minos, king of Crete sends his son Androgeus to Athens for study where he is slain. To avenge his son’s death, he conquers Athens and other towns. He makes a new custom that every three years once, one Athenian should be given as a sacrifice to the hungry monster of Minos as a compensation for the loss of his dear son Androgeus. It so happens in a year that Theseus, the prince of Athens is selected for sacrifice and is brought to jail in Crete. Ariadne, daughter of Minos plans with her sister Phaedra to rescue the prince with the jailer, a knife and two balls of thread -jailer will bring Theseus to the sisters, knife to kill the monster and the thread balls to show the way to flee from Crete. Theseus falls at her feet and vows to be her page or slave, for he has already been in love with her for seven years. He swears to be true to her all her day and night. Ariadne loves him and all happen as they planned. Theseus flees from the place with the jailer, Ariadne and her sister. On the way, the ship reaches an island where Theseus wants to rest but in the middle of night, he abandons Ariadne and elopes with her sister to Athens. Ariadne who saved him from beast was betrayed and left alone at night in an island of beasts by the traitor beast Theseus. Ariadne hopes in vain for his return and thus ends the tragic legend of Ariadne.
Minos, king of Crete sends his son Androgeus to Athens for study where he is slain. To avenge his son’s death, he conquers Athens and other towns. He makes a new custom that every three years once, one Athenian should be given as a sacrifice to the hungry monster of Minos as a compensation for the loss of his dear son Androgeus. It so happens in a year that Theseus, the prince of Athens is selected for sacrifice and is brought to jail in Crete. Ariadne, daughter of Minos plans with her sister Phaedra to rescue the prince with the jailer, a knife and two balls of thread -jailer will bring Theseus to the sisters, knife to kill the monster and the thread balls to show the way to flee from Crete. Theseus falls at her feet and vows to be her page or slave, for he has already been in love with her for seven years. He swears to be true to her all her day and night. Ariadne loves him and all happen as they planned. Theseus flees from the place with the jailer, Ariadne and her sister. On the way, the ship reaches an island where Theseus wants to rest but in the middle of night, he abandons Ariadne and elopes with her sister to Athens. Ariadne who saved him from beast was betrayed and left alone at night in an island of beasts by the traitor beast Theseus. Ariadne hopes in vain for his return and thus ends the tragic legend of Ariadne.
VII) The Legend of Philomela
Procne, wife of Tereus, king of Thrace longs for seeing her sister Philomela and beseeches her husband who takes her father Pandion's palace where Tereus eyes on Philomela with a burning heart. Father unwillingly permits for taking Philomela to Thrace but insists of her safe return. Philomela is brought to Thrace and is taken by Tereus alone to a forest and there into a cave. She innocently asks, “Where is my sister, brother Tereus?” without knowing that she is now a lamb in the hands of hungry wolf or a dove in the clutches of an eagle. When he proceeds, she cries for help ,”Sister, father dear, God above” but nobody came to her rescue. She is berefted of her virginity and moreover Tereus cuts her tongue, lest she should reveal everything and defile his honour. He also puts her on a castle for his use and returns home. He weeps, sheds crocodile tears and conveys that Philomela was found dead. However Philomela who weaves a tapestry narrating all that happened and sends it to Procne through a boy. Procne pretends to her husband as if going to the temple of Bacchus and visits Philomela whom she takes in her arms and weeps a lot in agony. Chaucer doesn't tell what happened thereafter and ends the story by making a warning to woman to be beware of man. The history or myth goes that Procne killed Tereus' son and made him a feast to Tereus who chased both sisters but answering the prayer of the sisters, God transformed Procne and Philomela into the birds swallow and nightingale respectively.
Procne, wife of Tereus, king of Thrace longs for seeing her sister Philomela and beseeches her husband who takes her father Pandion's palace where Tereus eyes on Philomela with a burning heart. Father unwillingly permits for taking Philomela to Thrace but insists of her safe return. Philomela is brought to Thrace and is taken by Tereus alone to a forest and there into a cave. She innocently asks, “Where is my sister, brother Tereus?” without knowing that she is now a lamb in the hands of hungry wolf or a dove in the clutches of an eagle. When he proceeds, she cries for help ,”Sister, father dear, God above” but nobody came to her rescue. She is berefted of her virginity and moreover Tereus cuts her tongue, lest she should reveal everything and defile his honour. He also puts her on a castle for his use and returns home. He weeps, sheds crocodile tears and conveys that Philomela was found dead. However Philomela who weaves a tapestry narrating all that happened and sends it to Procne through a boy. Procne pretends to her husband as if going to the temple of Bacchus and visits Philomela whom she takes in her arms and weeps a lot in agony. Chaucer doesn't tell what happened thereafter and ends the story by making a warning to woman to be beware of man. The history or myth goes that Procne killed Tereus' son and made him a feast to Tereus who chased both sisters but answering the prayer of the sisters, God transformed Procne and Philomela into the birds swallow and nightingale respectively.
Keats directly employs the myth of Philomela in “Eve of St Agnes" and modern poet T.S.Eliot points out her in ''The Waste Land" thus –
“The change of Philomel, by the barbarous king
So rudely forced; yet there the nightingale
Filled all the desert with inviolable voice
And still she cried, and still the world pursues,
"Jug Jug" to dirty ears.”
So rudely forced; yet there the nightingale
Filled all the desert with inviolable voice
And still she cried, and still the world pursues,
"Jug Jug" to dirty ears.”
VIII) The Legend of Phyllis
The story begins after the fall of Troy. Returning from the war, on the way to his home, Demophone, son of Theseus and king of Athens is driven by wind and heavy rain to the land where Phyllis is the queen. Demophone is almost dead without food and water whom Phyllis rescues offering shelter. He swears to be faithful to her all his life and lives with her. He goes home with a promise that he will have to arrange for their marriage and return in a month to take her to his place. He trusts him but he returns not. Four months passed, and Phyllis realises that she is betrayed. She laments in torments and writes a last letter to him and says that he is like his father in this and has beguiled her as his father Theseus did Ariadne. She further writes, “my body you will see right in the harbour of Athens…though you are harder than is any stone.” She destroys herself and the legend ends with the warning of Chaucer to be beware of man.
The story begins after the fall of Troy. Returning from the war, on the way to his home, Demophone, son of Theseus and king of Athens is driven by wind and heavy rain to the land where Phyllis is the queen. Demophone is almost dead without food and water whom Phyllis rescues offering shelter. He swears to be faithful to her all his life and lives with her. He goes home with a promise that he will have to arrange for their marriage and return in a month to take her to his place. He trusts him but he returns not. Four months passed, and Phyllis realises that she is betrayed. She laments in torments and writes a last letter to him and says that he is like his father in this and has beguiled her as his father Theseus did Ariadne. She further writes, “my body you will see right in the harbour of Athens…though you are harder than is any stone.” She destroys herself and the legend ends with the warning of Chaucer to be beware of man.
IX) The Legend of Hypermnestra
Danaus and Aegyptus in Greece are brothers. The former has a son called Lynceus and the latter has a daughter named Hypermnestra. The brothers decide to join Lynceus and Hypermnestra in marriage. Hypermnestra is immensely beautiful blessed with Venus, a woman of consciousness and truth gifted by Jupiter but remains so weak and tender, without the grave of Mars, that she couldn't even handle a knife. On the marriage night, her father enters her bed chamber and threatens her to kill if she doesn't follow his direction that she should give a drop of narcotics to her new husband and kill him in sleep cutting his throat. It is because the father had been forewarned in his dream to face death through one of his nephews. She weeps and says, “since I am his wife and pledged to loyalty, ‘tis best for me to die in wifely honesty than be a traitor to live on in shame.” She is so tender that she could not even kill herself. She embraces him and wakes him up who in fear flees from bed chamber. The cruel father fetters her in prison and here Chaucer leaves the legend unfinished, though hints in the beginning of the tragic death of innocent Hypermnestra in prison.
Danaus and Aegyptus in Greece are brothers. The former has a son called Lynceus and the latter has a daughter named Hypermnestra. The brothers decide to join Lynceus and Hypermnestra in marriage. Hypermnestra is immensely beautiful blessed with Venus, a woman of consciousness and truth gifted by Jupiter but remains so weak and tender, without the grave of Mars, that she couldn't even handle a knife. On the marriage night, her father enters her bed chamber and threatens her to kill if she doesn't follow his direction that she should give a drop of narcotics to her new husband and kill him in sleep cutting his throat. It is because the father had been forewarned in his dream to face death through one of his nephews. She weeps and says, “since I am his wife and pledged to loyalty, ‘tis best for me to die in wifely honesty than be a traitor to live on in shame.” She is so tender that she could not even kill herself. She embraces him and wakes him up who in fear flees from bed chamber. The cruel father fetters her in prison and here Chaucer leaves the legend unfinished, though hints in the beginning of the tragic death of innocent Hypermnestra in prison.
Tennyson's “A Dream of Fair women" (1833) originally titled “Legend of Fair Women" is based on Chaucer's poem. The structure of the poem is the same as in Monk’s tale. The command of Alceste in Chaucer's prologue is also found in the “The Fall of Princes”(1431-38) by John Lydgate that is composed of nine books and 36000 lines. Chaucer's Man of law in Canterbury Tales also praises Chaucer and this poem naming it “Seintes Legende of Cupide”. In Shakespeare's “A Midsummer Night’s Dream", the story of Thisbe and Pyramas is enacted in Act 1, scene 1 by a group of mechanicals resembling the legend of Thisbe by Chaucer. In fact Chaucer is undoubtedly a great feminist and presents in iambic pentameter all legendary women highly superior to men by their very sacrifice for love or chastity.
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