The Canterbury Tales: The Clerk's Tale Class Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Line Number)

Quote #16

     "O thing biseke I yow, and warne also,
that ye ne prikke with no tormentinge
This tendre mayden, as ye han don mo.
For she is fostred in hire norishinge
More tendrely, and to my supposing,
She coude nat adversitee endure
As coude a povre fostred creature." (1037-1043)

Grisilde appears to hold the same belief as the narrator, that a poor person is more likely to have a strong character than a rich one. The girl's "tender" upbringing makes her unable to withstand adversity, or so Grisilde believes.