Faithfulness

In many of the tales told by the pilgrims, faithfulness is a key element. For the Miller, faithfulness never lasted and was always overcome. For the Wife of Bath, faithfulness was also rather shallow; one could be either pretty or faithful to her spouse. But in the Franklin's tale, faithfulness is a strong force.

Of the three characters listed, the Miller disregards faithfulness the most, saying that no matter who the marriage is between, their faithfulness will not hold. The Wife of Bath regards this trait with more reverence, upholding it as one of the most important elements in a wife, although her knight cannot choose between a good-looking wife and faithful one. The Franklin is one step above these two, creating a relationship where their faithfulness is tested, but holds strong.

Another tale we have read is the Knight's. In his story, faithfulness isn't even a question; he pretty much assumes that Emily will be a perfect wife in every way. His complete and total trust in the honor of a wife is even beyond that of the Franklin's.

This is interesting, because the Miller, a sneaky, tricky worker, the lowest ranking of the four, disregards faithfulness the most. The Wife of Bath is the next lowest on the totem pole, being a wealthy wife of a clerk, and she her trust in faithfulness comes in for third place. The Franklin, being a land owner, believes that unfaithfulness is an issue, but says that people overcome it. The Knight, being the highest ranking, doesn't address faithfulness in either his story or his prologue, rather he assumes that Emily is a perfect women.

The more higher ranking you go, does the value of faithfulness rise?