Deterioration In The Man's Tale
In “The Man of Law's Tale,” Geoffrey Chaucer writes about a series of misadventures visited upon a woman. Over the course of her travels, the protagonist, Constance, attains a status usually reserved for her male counterparts, the heroes of medieval romance. This does not mean, however, that the author merely inserts a female protagonist into a male-centered genre. Rather, Chaucer takes the typical structure of medieval romance and manipulates it so that Constance's character progression fits the pattern of female and not male initiation. Professor Derek Brewer, Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, divides the structure of medieval romance into three parts: “integration,” “disintegration,” and “reintegration” (168). The first part, integration, comprises the separation of the hero from his society. This separation is typically accomplished by means of a journey into an unknown realm. Integration gives way to disintegration, successfully undergoing the trials of which leads to reintegration
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Unlike male initiation, which is often accomplished in a group, this is usually individual and involves the separation of the protagonist from her society. The individual nature of female initiation is due to the onset of menstruation (Eliade 41-44), which is almost universally considered the sign for the commencement of a female's initiation. The relevance of this pattern to Chaucer's story is clear. Having reached marriageable age, Constance is sent off from her society. She travels to Northumberland, wins a mate, and returns to Rome with a child who will rule the empire. The initiating schema is borne out in Chaucer's text. Once she has married Alla, the author never calls Constance a “girl” (MLT 141) or a “maid” (MLT 184). When he does refer to her, he calls her a “wretched woman” (MLT 787) or a “virtuous woman” (MLT 894). Thus, Chaucer recognizes her altered
Unlike male initiation, which is often accomplished in a group, this is usually individual and involves the separation of the protagonist from her society. The individual nature of female initiation is due to the onset of menstruation (Eliade 41-44), which is almost universally considered the sign for the commencement of a female's initiation. The relevance of this pattern to Chaucer's story is clear. Having reached marriageable age, Constance is sent off from her society. She travels to Northumberland, wins a mate, and returns to Rome with a child who will rule the empire. The initiating schema is borne out in Chaucer's text. Once she has married Alla, the author never calls Constance a “girl” (MLT 141) or a “maid” (MLT 184). When he does refer to her, he calls her a “wretched woman” (MLT 787) or a “virtuous woman” (MLT 894). Thus, Chaucer recognizes her altered