"The Man of Law's Tale" portrays its characters as helpless chess pieces in the hands of the stars, fate, or God. We may like to think that we have free will, but according to the Man of Law, we've got no control whatsoever. In this world, all a person can do is grin and bear whatever God decides should happen. Into this doom and gloom scenario, however, the narrator injects a note of comfort with the idea that despite our inability to know or understand our fates, God has a purpose for everything that he does.
This becomes the message of Custance's wanderings, an answer to the Constable's complaint that the suffering of innocents seems very unfair. Cold comfort, sure, but it's what enables Custance to bear her fate without too much gnashing of teeth. In fact, this choice that one makes to piously accept suffering as God's will, along with the decision to live a pious life in general, seem to be the few measures of control characters have in our tale of the day.
Questions About Fate and Free Will
- How does "The Man of Law's Tale" explain the failure of Custance's marriage? How does this explanation interact with the Christian faith in the Tale?
- How does Custance explain the origin of her suffering? What does this explanation reveal about her character?
- What control over their lives, if any, do characters have in "The Man of Law's Tale"?
- How does "The Man of Law's Tale" suggest a Christian ought to deal with the inevitability of fate?
Chew on This
"The Man of Law's Tale" raises questions about unquestioning faith in God's plan for the world with the evil plans of the Sultan's mother and Donegild, in combination with Alla's welcoming of the (false) news of a demon child as the "sonde," or "sending" of God.
The only control characters have over their lives in "The Man of Law's Tale" is in their choice to live a virtuous life or not.