The Wife's Guide

During medieval times women, especially married women, had to bear in mind the position in their home as well as their duties toward their husbands. Even well-off women had to take care of household chores such as gardening, work within the farm (page 1). The Book, "The Good Wife's Guide," sets many examples written by a old man who wanted his wife to learn how to be an obedient wife. Also he cited the character of Griselda, in "The Clerk's Tale," to empathize the importance and rewards of being a submissive wife.

The Merchant's Wife

This story describes a merchant's wife who used manipulation to get what she wanted. She is a capricious woman who likes to spend money on trivial things.Through her games she made her husband looked as a selfish person in the eyes of the monk (lines 161-162), in order to get the money she needed. The wife betrayed her husband by agreeing to sleep with the monk. However, the merchant thought of the monk as a brother; this men betrayed him and the word of God. This story as well as the movie, "The Name of the Rose," used the monk as a symbol of some members of the church in medieval times who would not do what they were sworn to do and break all of God's Codes.