Furthermore, "The Physician's Tale", is a story in which the main characters represent moral extremes. For example, Virginia, daughter of the knight Virginius, is described as pure and beautiful. However, Apius, a powerful judge, cares only to satisfy his own desires. The young girl is faced with death or dishonor when the judge demands she be handed over to him. Virginia's father would rather preserve his daughter's nobility and honor then keep her alive. Chaucer casts a negative light across the codes of honor to which men adhere. Overall, the tale has a moral allegory, when the girl chooses death over shame because of her father.
