The Social Structure in the Middle Ages

The King

“The King commands, no one refuses him” —“Lanval” by Marie de France

The King’s word is law within society. If someone refused him, it would be equivalent to committing a crime, resulting in either exile or death. In “Lanval” by Marie de France, King Arthur showcases his authority by calling his council to determine whether Lanval is innocent or guilty. France describes, “Now it’s up to the lords’ jury / They have gone to find their verdict / But they wonder, a little panicked / About this noble foreign knight / Who finds himself in such a plight. / More than one is ready to bring / Him in ‘guilty,’ to please the King.... / Justice, always, must be done” (Marie de France). The King gives his council the ability to decide, a source of power, but the verdict must convince and please him because only he determines whether justice is served to his liking or not. In the Middle Ages, the King is the essence of power, a god-like individual that everyone must respect and follow.

The Hierarchy of Wealth

The King can easily give and take back a title, land, and more from the men he granted the power to because he is the source of supremacy within society. The men who offer their service and swear their loyalty to the King earn the title of Lord, Baron, Count, Knight, and more. Each position contains a certain amount of power and influence in society, though none are higher than the King.

Geoffrey Chaucer describes in The Canterbury Tales the different positions men held in the 14th century and how their occupation impacts their external appearance. In “The General Prologue,” the Sergeant of the Law is a high-ranking attorney with a superior demeanor, fluent speech, pristine reputation, rich, and a landowner. Chaucer later describes the Plowman as a man “Who had hauled very many a cartload of dung; / He was a true and good worker...” (530-531). Compared to the Sergeant, the Plowman has less power and influence because, although he is a good worker, his occupation does not earn him enough money or gain him respect since he carries a cartload of manure. Materialistic qualities and possessions carry a level of authority in society, earning men and women's respect. Wealthy people are more potent than the common folk in which creates a hierarchy.

Possession

In “The Miller Tale” by Geoffrey Chaucer, the carpenter sets an example by marrying an 18-year-old woman, who is beautiful beyond comparison, and keeps her confined in fear. He is afraid of becoming a cuckold since he wedded a woman much younger than him. Men fail to see the invisible chains they place on women through marriage.

Women are trophies that men desire to possess and polish for show.

Defying Social Boundaries

Where do women fall into the hierarchy built by men? They stand wherever their husband is on the social ladder. Even though the feudal system gives men more power and control, women rise and challenge the system through their wits, status, and wealth.

Alison, the wife in “The Miller’s Tale,” uses her wits to prank her husband and the parish clerk to spend more time with her beloved Nicholas. For example, she sticks her rear-end outside the window for the parish clerk to kiss. Although her tricks are humorous and callous, she defies her role as a loyal and faithful wife and respectable lady expected in society.

Even though Alison’s defiance is minuscule, her behavior is a taste of what women can do when they desire something or someone as much as men like to possess them. In “Lanval,” Semiramis is a woman of beauty and elegance, but she uses her status and wealth to save Lanval from injustice. Marie de France states, “The lady rides in at the palace door, / Lovelier than any... / And dismounts, so she can be seen from all sides. / She drops her cloak upon the floor, / So that they all can see her more” (Marie de France). Semiramis utilizes her beauty to grab the council and King Arthur’s attention like a weapon, demanding to be listened to and respected despite being a woman.

Defying Social Boundaries

Semiramis defies the social boundaries because she approaches King Arthur and his council without a man beside her. She acts on her own accord. After proving Lanval’s innocence, she demands the King to release Lanval as if she is the King’s equal. Marie de France writes, “The King approves in advance…. / He [Lanval] is freed by their verdict, / And the maid makes her exit. / The King can’t keep her there at all / She has enough servants of her own” (Marie de France). Semiramis gains nothing from King Arthur because her power comes from her status and wealth, which is showcased through her appearance, her animals, and the number of servants who serve her. Her standing in the hierarchy does not prevent her from saving Lanval, and the King cannot stop her from leaving his kingdom. She challenges the hierarchy by using her feminine characteristics, status, and wealth against the King, who is the leader of the social ladder.

Women are as capable as men. Even if they fail to succeed in their deeds because of the hierarchy’s social boundaries, they continue fighting. Women of the Middle Ages bend the rules to their will by challenging feudalism.

Submissiveness

When a male possesses feminine characteristics like gentleness or sweetness, he falls into the submissive role reserved for women. In “The General Prologue,” Chaucer describes the Squire as “A lover and a lively bachelor, / With locks curled as if they had laid in a curler…. / He was embroidered, as if it were a mead / All full of fresh flowers, white and red. / Singing he was, or fluting, all the day; He was fresh as the month of May” (80-92). Chaucer compares the Squire’s appearance to May, setting the character’s persona as a wild, free-spirited man with feminine characteristics. He uses the words “embroidered,” “flowers,” and “fresh” to evoke a sense of femininity in the Squire. Geoffrey Chaucer showcases the contradiction between a character's social rank versus his or her personality.

How does masculinity and femininity affect status?

Chaucer’s description of the Squire is similar to Marie de France’s depiction of Semiramis. In “Lanval,” France writes, “When in Spring their petals unfurl— / Lovelier than these was this girl.... / Her face, neck, breast, her whole side, / All whiter than hawthorn blossom in May” (Marie de France). Feminine characteristics focus on external beauty. Chaucer and France compare a woman's attractiveness to Spring because women are like flowers, delicate, gentle, and beautiful. Chaucer’s comparison of the Squire to May contradicts the Squire’s status, who is a young nobleman working as an attendant for a knight.

If a male appears and acts more feminine than his masculine status and gender, he is less respected within society. In “The Franklin’s Tale,” Chaucer describes Aurelius as “This lusty squire, servant to Venus, / Who was called Aurelius, / Had loved her [Dorigen] best of any creature… / But he never dared tell her his grievance. / Copiously he drank all his penance (suffered intensely)” (937-942). Aurelius is a Squire, who is courageous, rich, and handsome, but he is too emotional about his feelings for Dorigen. In Lois Tyson's essay on Feminist Literary Theory, men ruled by their emotions are considered weak and unmanly (87). Aurelius portrays feminine behavior by acting upon his strong emotions. Dorigen could have respectfully refused his confession, but she offers him an impossible task. She belittles his masculinity because if a man cannot complete his lover’s quest to prove his worthiness, is he considered a man? No.

Individualism vs. Nobility

Is an individual born with noble characteristics through his heritage?

In "The Wife of Bath’s Tale," Chaucer states that society focuses more on materialistic status than individuality, believing that a person’s heritage determines his or her identity and behavior. The crone in the tale explains, “‘For nobility is nothing but renown / Of

thy ancestors, for their great goodness, / Which is a thing not naturally part of thy person. / Thy nobility comes from God alone. / Then our true nobility comes from grace; / It was not at all bequeathed to use with our social rank’” (1159-1164). The quote addresses the difference between an individual's social rank versus who they are as a person. Nobility derives from a person’s actions and personality, not through his bloodline.

Individuality vs. Titles

Titles do not determine an individual’s character. In the Middle Ages, Knights are known as respectable, honorable, and have a strong sense of integrity. Society believes every Knight has similar characteristics because of their title. In “The Wife of Bath’s Tale,” the Knight is an example of a rude and selfish man who rapes a woman in the streets. He becomes depressed when he has no choice but to marry the crone, who is ugly, poor, and old in his eyes. His character tarnishes his title until the crone teaches him the difference between beauty on the outside versus inside. A person's status does not conform to his individuality.