1. The Canterbury Tales: The Franklin's Prologue
James Chen

2. The Franklin ("Free Man")
Landowner
Didn't serve a lord and not nobility either
Optimistic and benign
Lived for pleasure
Connoisseur of food and wine
 Table always ready for food

3. Franklin's Prologue Story originally told by Ancient Bretons
Franklin issues disclaimer regarding his storytelling skills
Calls self ignorant man
Asks audience to excuse his vulgar speech
Never studied rhetoric, speaks simply and plainly

4. Franklin's Tale Setting: Old Armorica (Now Brittany)
 Breton knight named Arviragus marries the beautiful Dorigen
Unlike the conventional marriage, based on equality
Neither was a master or servant
Franklin's Statement:
 If mastery enters marriage, love will flap its wings & fly away

5. Franklin's Tale
Arviragus and Dorigen lived blissfully until Arviragus is sent to Britain for two years for work
Dorigen, deeply in love w/ Arviragus, becomes depressed
Friends try to comfort her, took her on walks near sea
Distressed by black rocks by shore that sunk ships

6. Franklin's Tale Friends take her to garden party/dance
Handsome, dancing squire named Aurelius confesses love to Dorigen
Had been in love w/ her for 2 years
Dorigen rejects Aurelius, "Never shall I become an untrue wife"
But she jests by saying she will only love him if he removes all the rocks from the coast
Aurelius depressed by the impossible task

7. Franklin's Tale Arviragus returns and Dorigen overjoyed
Aurelius' brother refers Aurelius to a law student skilled in illusion and magic for help
 The law student agrees to do it for 1000 pounds and does it
Dorigen is in a dilemma 

8. Franklin's Tale Must forfeit either body or reputation
Tells Aviragus, who is shocked and dejected
Aviragus tells wife to fulfill her promise
Aurelius learns of Aviragus' actions and frees Dorigen from her promise
The law student learns of Aurelius' deed and frees him from his debt
"Chain Reaction"
Franklin ends with the question: Which was most generous, do you think, and how?
How would you answer this question?
Why do you think the Franklin told this kind of story?