Meet the Cast
Custance
We're Trying to Find a Flaw, But...Custance is sugar and spice and everything nice.For realsies. She represents all that is true and good in the world of "The Man of Law's Tale." She's young withou...
King Alla
King Alla, the Northumbrian king who marries Custance, is one sharp cookie. He instantly suspects a "greet motif," (hidden motive), when the treacherous knight accuses Custance of murdering Donegil...
The Sultan of Syria's Mother
It's kind of surprising that a character who looms so large in the "Tale" doesn't have a name. After all, she's the one responsible for sending Custance on her first rudderless boat trip (which set...
Donegild
Ah, the other evil in-law.Donegild, the second treacherous mother-in-law Custance encounters, is almost a carbon copy of the conniving Sultaness. (We guess Custance just had bad luck in that depart...
The Sultan of Syria
The Sultan of Syria is a man who's accustomed to getting his way. He also appears prone to obsession. When he hears about the reputation of the beautiful Custance, he finds himself unable to stop t...
Hermengyld
Remember Hermengyld? She's the wife of the Northumbrian Constable who takes Custance into his home. Which means she holds a special place in our hearts. Sometimes, it's hard to find people who are...
The Constable
The Constable offers Custance a home when he finds her washed up on the Northumbrian shore. Later, he converts to Christianity when he witnesses his wife's faith-healing of a blind man. His life ta...
The Senator
Notice any interesting parallels between the Senator and anyone else?That's right: the Senator who takes Custance into his home serves as the Roman version of the Northumbrian Constable. This tells...
Maurice
Maurice is the son of Custance and Alla. He makes only a very brief appearance in the tale, and frankly doesn't have much of a personality. To be fair, he's a tiny tot. At the Senator's feast, Alla...
Treacherous Knights 1 and 2
In Northumbria, a treacherous knight propositions Custance for sexual favors. When Custance refuses, he murders Hermengyld in an attempt to frame Custance for the crime. Later, when Custance washes...