Theme Of Chivalry In The Physician's Tale

During the Medieval Period, qualities such as honor, selflessness, and chivalry were highly regarded in society. For instance, any person, particularly a knight, who chose to demonstrate these respectable character traits was expected to uphold them despite any temptation or struggle he may have encountered. In order to make this more attainable, the Knight’s Code of Chivalry was invented, which acted as a set of ethical and social guidelines for people to abide by. Yet unfortunately, despite humanity’s efforts to live morally grounded lives, it still makes the human person no less susceptible to sin and evil. This is exhibited through Geoffrey Chaucer’s use of the characters in “The Physician’s Tale” to expose the corruption of the court system, emphasize the absurdity of a Knight’s Code of Chivalry, and exemplify the manner in which such corruption preys on the virtuous.
The story’s …show more content…
This internal conflict can be seen through the actions of Appius regarding his use of his power and wealth in the story. For example, he could have used his influence in the legal system to punish criminals and help the people in his town, but instead he decided to give into temptation and use it to pursue his own selfish objectives. Furthermore, this struggle is also exemplified through the decision Virginia makes when she decides between her rest of her life and the opportunity to keep her virginity. However, unlike Appius, she is able to triumph over temptation because she believes that the value of her purity outweighs the restricted fulfillment a life of sin bestows on a person. Additionally, Chaucer reveals that similar to our own reality, moral persons, such as Virginia and Virginius are either tainted or destroyed by sin, because others manipulate and warp their kind nature into instruments to be used to their