The Franklin & the Wife of Bath
Amanda Conrath & Renee LeGros
The Wife of Bath
Unfortunately she was somewhat deaf
She was a skilled maker of cloth
And she was better at cloth-making than some famous people
Nobody dared be first in line for a church offering
If someone did, she would get pissed off and refuse to offer anything
Her head cover was finely woven
It was rather heavy looking as well
And she wore it on her head every Sunday
She wore red stockings
They weren't wrinkled and her shoes always looked nice
She had strong facial features and fair skin with rosy cheeks
She was a very good wife and had married 5 men
As a young woman, she didn't date or have sex
But there's no need to say that applies to now
She's been to Jerusalem 3 times
She'd been all over the world
She'd been to Rome, Boulogne, Galicia, and Cologne
She is an experienced traveler who knows a lot
Her teeth are gapped and she rides a slow horse
She wears a skirt over her large hips and spurs on her feet
She would joke about love she had experienced to friends
Because that's all she knew to do around other people
The Franklin
His beard was very white
His face was ruddy and red
He loved to drink wine, even in the morning
And he lived by the ideals of Epicurus
Thus he believed that total pleasure led to true happiness
He was a great house owner
Likened to St. Julian for his hospitality
All of his food (bread, ale, etc.) was good and one of a kind
Nobody had more/better wine than he did
His house always had some kind of baked good
And he always had plentiful meats and fish
It seemed to rain all sorts of goodies in his house
His food changed constantly according to the season
He owned many partridges in cages for eating
And a pond of fish for eating as well
His cook would regret it if his sauce wasn't strong/sharp
Even if he wasn't home, his table was set and ready for eating
He was a lord and sire (important guy) during law business
He's also a member of parliament
At his side, he carries a dagger and a white silk purse
He was once a sheriff and tax overseer
Nowhere else was there another man as gentlemanly as he
Quotes of Significance
The Franklin was said to be "Epicurus's own son" (Chaucer ln. 337). Epicurus was an ancient Greek philosopher to have taught that utmost pleasure was the greatest good. This tells the reader that the Franklin is a very optimistic person who believes in always having a positive outlook on life. It also sings of his materialistic tendencies.
Modern Comparison
The Franklin, in modern society, would be a typical rich white man who owns a large, nice house. There isn't anyone specific we could compare him to, so his description is up for a vague comparison. We were going to say Donald Trump, but The Franklin seems like a pretty nice and chivalrous guy, so we wouldn't do that to him.
Interaction
There's also a good chance that they would not get along at all as the Franklin seems to be partially (if not completely) consumed by materialism while the Wife blatantly makes it clear that she is all about donating (even if it is only because she wants everybody to know how much of a philanthropist she is). The wife is obviously a God-fearing woman who seems to follow the teachings of the church to a tee whereas the Franklin follows and respects the teachings of a philosopher more closely, a practice frowned upon by the church at the time that the tales were written.