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Sovereignty in the Wife of Baths Tale and the Friars Tale

The Loathly Lady in the Wife of Baths Tale and the Summoner in the Friars Tale both
seem to present examples of true free will and sovereignty, both characters seeming to act on
behalf of themselves and actively move the plot. The Loathly Lady saves the life of the questing
Knight, and the Summoner chooses to use deception to make his income. The choices the
Loathly Lady and the Knight make seem to suggest true sovereignty, however, the sovereignty
presented in the Friars Tale and the Wife of Baths Tale is limited, if existent at all. In both
tales, free will is a consequence of a choice compelled by society, or a magical, devilish
creature. Neither tale depicts true sovereignty, but rather furthers notions that everyone,
otherworldly or not, at some time, is one of Goddes Instrumentz (FrT 1483). The Loathly Lady
and the Knight in the Wife of Baths Tale and the Feend and the Summoner in the Friars Tale
all seem to be the arbiters of their own fate, freely choosing and mongering consequences of
their decisive action. The Knight, the Loathly Lady and the Summoner and the Feend are all
subject to forces outside of themselves: bretherhede (FrT 1398), gentillesse (WBT 1117),
and Gods will. Bretherhede and gentillesse are both notions of medieval society that
dictated proper behavior. Gentillesse refers to birth, rank, and nobility, but also the
characteristics embodied by the noble class, such as generosity, kindness, and graciousness
(MED). Bretherhede and gentilesse outline the conventions of society that compel decision,
and these compulsions are deeply ingrained. Under the power of embedded social convention,
and religion; the actions of the Loathly Lady, the Knight, the Feend and the Summoner prove
that no true sovereignty exists within either tale.
The Friars Tale opens with a tone of foreboding: an archdeacon is known to punish
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witchcraft and deception, and yet, for that was the fruyt of al his rente
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, /Therfore on it he sette
al his entente (FrT 1373-4). The Summoner intends to be deceptive in acquiring his income,
implying free action. The use of the word rente instead of something like income adds other
meaning, to flow without diminishing. This expanded definition emphasizes the deceptive
capability of the Summoner, and his intent to continue his behavior continuously. The upfront
and infinite tension between the Summoner and his superior marks the first instance of fate,
complicated by his choices. The choices the Summoner makes have consequences, enacted by
the archdeacon, or the ever-present undercurrent: God. The discussion of intent and choices
made by the Summoner seem to suggest free will, and to some extent, that is true. The
Summoner, as a man, has some power. He is free to make some decisions of his own volition,
even if in Chaucers fourteenth century, the feends presence was pervasive but controlled,
tempting but not necessarily overpowering (Raybin 99), and a devil may act only against those
who willingly accept his offerings (99). The Summoners initial choice placed him in a position
where he is vulnerable to further temptation by the Devil, embodied by the Feend. The
Summoner may have malicious intent behind his choices, but is only compelled to action
through the Feend. In this instance, the Summoner has limited sovereignty malicious intent,
but the fruit of this labor does not exist until the temptation from the Feend. Temptation is one
way in which free will is tested classically, but in the Friars Tale, the Summoner is less
tempted, and more entrapped. The Feend misrepresents himself to the Summoner,
Depardieuxdeere broother,/Thou art a bailly and I am another (1395-96). He uses an
exclamation of by god to pretend to utilize that authority to relate to the Summoner, and build

1
(a) Revenue from property, income; also fig.; (b) a source of revenue or income, property yielding revenue; -- usu.
pl.; lond and (or) ~, ~ and lond, londes and (ne, other) rentes; (c) wealth; (d) riche of (in) ~, riche of rentes,
richesse and (ne) ~, rentes and richesse; (e) in prov. expressions; (f) the produce of a crop, fruit; output; rennen to
right ~, of a well: to flow without diminishing.
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a relationship, Of thyn aqueyntance I wolde praye thee/And eek of bretherhede if that yow
leste (1398-99). The Feend preys on the social conventions of the time to forge a relationship.
The Summoner has the option to deny his bretherhede, but out of chivalric duty and
gentillesse, he accepts. The acceptance of this pledge of bretherhede eventually leads to the
Summoners demise. The Knight in the Wife of Baths Tale is being punished by the King and
Queen of his land for rape. His punishment is to quest to find what women really want, his quest
a consequence of his actions, but it seems that the results of the quest are out of his hands. The
Knight has displayed limited sovereignty here, like the Summoner. The initial decision that
propels the story forward was made by the Knight alone, a right afforded by his male birthright.
The Knight has an opportunity for salvation, but ultimately his fate is determined by Gods will.
His quest will only be redemptive if it is Gods will, with swich answere as God wolde hym
purveye (WBT 917). The word purveye in the Wife of Baths Tale changes the meaning of
this line slightly - it means the answer is provided, as a service to the people, from God. The
sovereignty held by the Knight was limited, but is in the past. He chose to violate, and now his
quest is in the hands of God. His sovereignty is removed as punishment for his sin.
Power dynamics define relationships. The Feend and Loathly Lady take the powerful
masculine role, and the Summoner and Knight are left with the feminine roles (Caldwell). The
person that holds the masculine role in a relationship is the one that will make decisions, hold
authority, and wield economic and religious authority. The feminine is the passive part the
entity that receives the action. The masculine and feminine roles are not determined by biology,
proven by the dynamic in these two tales. This subverts the assertion that biological birthright is
the sole determiner of power status, the Lady violates conventional behavior, appropriating
male authority by making demands and conducting negotiations both marital and economic
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(Caldwell 237). The Summoner and Knight are feminine in their lack of control, and therefore
subject to the actions of the masculine powers. The feminine counterparts are more compelled
by societal norms of gentillesse
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to subject themselves to rule of Loathly Lady and the Feend.
Trouthe, bretherhede and gentillesse are two ideals larger than sovereignty, the driving
force behind all decisions made in these tales. In the Friars Tale, it is these notions that lead to
the decisions that have the consequence of the Summoners hellish demise. Without these
notions, the characters would be truly free to make their own decisions and have consequences
unrelated to breaking societal conventions. In the case of the Friars Tale and the Wife of Baths
Tale,trouthe is pledged to an otherworldly being. This subverts norms regarding the chivalrous
pledging of trouthe, as otherworldly, magical beings are not governed by the same conventions
and rules as the Summoner and the Knight. The Feend and the Loathly Lady fear no
consequence if trouthe is broken. Both otherworldly beings manipulate the pledging of
trouthe. The Feend manipulates the Summoner by claiming to have the same profession and
a harsh master. The Loathly Lady also utilizes social pressure to encourage trouthe from the
Knight, Plight me my trouthe
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heere in myn hand quod she (WBT 1009) and he agrees,
Have heer my trouthe, quod the knyght. I grante (WBT 1013). The Knight, under chivalric
duty has a responsibility to uphold his end of a bargain in a constant effort to be a worthy knight.
These same conventions tether the loathly lady to her decision to be everything her husband
wants, I wol be to yow bothe (WBT 1240). Even though the Loathly Lady is an otherworldly
being, not subject to the same norms and mores of medieval society, at the end of the tale, she

2
1. (a) Nobility of birth or rank; (b) of birds, plants, fruit: excellence, beauty; ~ of blod, fine pedigree. 2 (a) Nobility
of character or manners; generosity, kindness, gentleness, graciousness, etc.; also, good breeding; (b) a noble or
gracious action; don ~, to behave nobly, be kind.
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(a) Honor, integrity; adherence to one's plighted word; also, nobility of character, knightly honor, adherence to the
chivalric ideal; also used metonymically for a person of honor [quot. a1500]; (b) in oaths and asseverations: bi min
(thin, etc.) ~, on (upon) min ~, etc., on my (your, etc.) honor; bi ~ of his bodi, on the honor of his person.
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behaves as a traditional heroine would subject to her husband, governed by notions of
gentillesse and chivalric rule. The Loathly Lady transforms yet again, into a Lady of medieval
society when she becomes the wife of the Knight.
The Feend, while seeming to display governance over the Summoner, acts on behalf of
God, For somtyme we been Goddes instrumentz
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/ And meenes to doon hise comandementz
(FrT 1483-4). The Feend illustrates that he is a tool of God, devoid of free will or sovereignty.
Utilizing instrumentz implies that his actions are the result of the request of another, more
powerful entity, they are used as tools, a means to an end. This passage implies that the Feend,
and potentially all mankind, have specific duties given to them directly from God. The role of the
Feend in this case, is great. This gives him authority over all things, especially the Summoner
who has pledged trouthe. The commandments of God are the rule by which all others are
governed. Similarly, The Loathly Lady in the Wife of Baths Tale initially may appear to
exercise female sovereignty (Caldwell 236), as she controls the action of the Knight on the
quest, making bargains and seeming to hold power, taking on the masculine role in the gendered
power dynamic. The answer to the Knights quest is that Wommen desiren have sovereynetee/
As wel over hir housbond as hir love/And for to been in maistrie
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hym above (WBT 1038-40).
This seems to imply that the Loathly Lady has been the puppeteer throughout the quest, that
maistrie is what the women want, over their husbands, and maistrie is what the Loathly Lady

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1. (a) A means by which something is done or effected; what is used for the accomplishment of something; (b) a
person whose actions are prescribed by another, an agent. 2. A written document by which formal expression is
given to a legal act; a decree, an agreement; a contract, a title deed, etc.; ?also, a formal summons.
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1. (a) Control, dominance, rulership; geten ~ unto, to grant (the kingship) to (sb.); haven ~; (b) preeminence,
status, prestige; (c) authority, warrant; (d) the upper hand, victory in a contest; geten ~ [see geten v. (1) 2b. (b)];
haven ~, to prevail, win the victory, be victorious; with inf.: succeed in (doing sth.); i)winnen (purchasen, taken)
~, gain the victory; lesen ~, lose a contest; maken ~, be successful; quethen (yelden) ~, concede victory; yeven ~,
grant victory (to sb.); also, concede the victory. 2. (a) Superior strength, force, violence; also fig.; dedes of ~, martial
acts; bi (of, par, thurgh) ~, by force; with ~, overwhelmingly, convincingly; also, with power; (b) a violent deed, a
feat of arms; don (werken) maistries; (c) don ~, werken maistries, maken maistrie(s, to act in a high-handed
way, behave violently or threateningly; commit an outrage or outrages.
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has displayed over the Knight. In this way, the Loathly Lady has drawn a parallel between
human women and herself. Women desire control and authority over their husbands, and also
superior strength and force. The word maistrie has sinister implications because it implies
violence, another masculine quality in this case found in a woman. Challenging traditional
gender roles, even in a romance genre has harsh subtext. After the Loathly Lady saves the life of
the Knight, she has power to ask of him anything, and she chooses to be his wife. She chooses an
institution that considers wives property, and because of his chivalric duty, he nedes moste hire
wedde (WBT 1071). The consequences of his violation is marriage to a woman who seems
shrewish in her desire for power, an unfulfilling end. Thankfully, the story for the Knight is not
over. After he has fulfilled his chivalric duty of marriage, the Loathly Lady gives the Knight one
last choice, To han me foul and old til that I deye/And be to yow a trewe, humble wyf/And
nevere yow displese in al my lyf,/or elles ye wol han me yong and fair/And take youre aventure
of the repair (WBT 1220-24). The two choices she proposes are the only two options she has
left, the admirable women of romance wield their emotional sovereignty in ways beneficial to
men and pleasurable to audiences (Crane 21). Even though she has been powerful up to this
point, once married, the freedom a woman has diminishes, if not vanishes. Her sovereignty
becomes limited, only possible in service of others and in that way, it destroys itself. In choosing
to marry the Knight, she has already given up power, gender sets limits on personal capability
and social power (Crane 21), but the ever chivalrous Knight tells the Lady,I put me in youre
wise governance./Cheseth youreself which may be moost plesance/ And moost honour to yow
and me also./I do no fors the wheither of the two, / For as yow liketh, it suffiseth me (WBT
1231-35). He gives her sovereignty. His offering shows that neither of them had true sovereignty
from the beginning. The Knight is tied to offering sovereignty because that was they very thing
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that saved his life, and the Lady is tied to being subject to her new husband because of the
conventions governing marriage, and her acceptance of womanhood. In a final show of
submission, the Lady surrenders any power she may have possessed previously. Kys me, quod
she, we be no longer wrothe./For by my trouthe, I wol be to yow bothe (WBT 1239-40). She
chooses to be both young and faithful, giving the Knight rule and governance, everything he
desired, returning to norms comfortable for a medieval audience, the classic, gendered power
dynamic is restored.
The Summoner is subject to the Feend, and the Feend is subject to God. The choices
the Summoner makes could be traced back to societal convention: society urged pledging
bretherhede to a Feend, and even if he could have decided to be honest all along, the
Feend knew the outcome from the outset: Thou shalt with me to Helle yet tonyght,/Where
thou shalf knowen of oure privetee/Moore than a maister of dyvynytee./And with that word this
foute feend hym hente./Body and soule he with the devel wente. (FrT 1635-40). The power
dynamic in the relationship between the Summoner and the Feend is heavily weighted towards
the Feend. The otherworldly being is working on behalf of God, using the Summoner as a tool
for his ends. In this way, the limited sovereignty displayed by the Summoner earlier is called into
question. Free will in general is questioned in the notion of Goddes instrumentz. If the
Summoner was to be used as a tool for divine purposes, his initial choice to be deceptive may not
have been his own, but rather a choice made by God as a way to propel his demise. The
Summoner is dragged to Hell and punished for his sins against God, but the question of free will
or sovereignty is never truly resolved.
Comparing the Loathly Lady and the Knight in the Wife of Baths Tale to the Summoner
and Feend in the Friars Tale broadens the picture of sovereignty. The Lady doesnt just earn
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sovereignty or challenge feminine roles. The Summoner isnt just given his due, they are all a
part of society, subject to norms, and ultimately God. All of these characters are subject to power
dynamics changed by gender, social conventions and the influence of God. The Loathly Lady
and the Knight encounter and challenge sovereignty directly, the very thing that saves the life of
the Knight is the agreement that the thing women want most of all is sovereignty and mastery
over their husbands. This life saving revelation could have been used to continue true mastery
over the Knight, but instead, is immediately undermined by the Loathly Ladys request for
marriage. She may want sovereignty, but in marriage, sovereignty is at most, limited.
Sovereignty stays out of the hands of wives, the power so shrewdly won is eventually
surrendered (Caldwell 237). The power dynamic between the Lady and the Knight is gendered,
beginning with subverted roles leaning towards a breakdown of convention, but ultimately ends
with a restoration of a traditional gendered dynamic, enforced by God, Crist wole we clayme of
hym oure gentillesse (WBT 1117). The Summoner and Feend tell the tale of gendered power
in a slightly different way they never change places. The Summoner is always in a more
passive role than the Feend, as the Feend is a progenitor of Gods will. Gods will is the
ultimate authority in these tales, the actions and consequences of the Loathly Lady and the
Knight, and the Feend and the Summoner are all part of Gods will. Within these tales exist no
instance of sovereignty outside of the will of God, societal conventions, or gender roles.
Ultimately, all characters are subject to authorities larger than themselves.
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Works Cited
Caldwell, Ellen M. Brains of Beauty: Limited Sovereignty in the Loathly Lady Tales The Wife
of Baths Tale, Thomas of Erceidoune, and The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame
Ragnelle. The English Loathly Lady tales: boundaries, traditions, motifs. 1. Passmore,
S. Elizabeth, Carter, Susan. Western Michigan University: 2007. 235-257. Print.
Crane, Susan. Alisons Incapacity and Poetic Instability in the Wife of Baths Tale. PMLA
102(1987): 20-28. Print.
Raybin, David. Goddes Instrumentz: Devils and Free Will in the Friars and Summoners
Tales. Chaucer Review 46.1 (2011): 93-110. Print.
Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. 2. Ed. Robert Boenig and Andrew Taylor.
Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview, 2008. Print.