Our expectations for marriage and our understanding of its role in our lives and society have certainly changed throughout history. Our second discussion post asks us to search for the influences from history and literature on our contemporary ideas. We will examine what has changed and what has remained the same.
Our discussion for this module has two components. First, identify the characteristics of courtly love and chivalry within Chaucer’s The Merchant’s Tale. Then, consider the idea of marriage presented within the tale. What does the tale say about marriage? Use specific examples from the text to support your answers.

As you think about your response to that question, you can also consider the following questions:
Does any of this ring true still today? What is the purpose of marriage in our contemporary society? How has history influenced these ideas?