In Jonson’s ‘Volpone’ and Chaucer’s ‘The Wife of Bath’s Tale’ . both justness and requital are an of import characteristic throughout the texts as whole but particularly so at the terminal of the texts. In each of the texts it is presented in a assortment of different ways.

In both texts the presentation of justness is really much dependent on the society in which the text is set and when the text is written. The two texts are both set and written in extremely patriarchal societies and this is evident in the texts themselves. In the ‘Wife of Bath’s Tale’ the individual penalizing the knight of his offense. is the queen. She does non penalize him to decease directly off every bit would hold been the norm for a colza at this clip ( capital penalty was non seen as harsh or morally incorrect in Chaucerian times and would non hold been in the Arthurian times in which the narrative is set ) . but alternatively gives him a opportunity of freedom. traveling against the social norms. proposing that possibly justness is non needfully dependant on the society but the single offense and prosecution. This could be a remark from Chaucer on how he feels about adult females in power. and sing the fact he is a male writer composing for a male audience this would hold been preferred to the positions at the clip.

However the fact a adult female has an chance to make this contradicts this. Differing from Chaucer. and in fact. his himself and his other dramas Jonson. punishes the felons in his drama. This could be for amusing consequence as the as the penalties are dry presentations of the offense or it could be the fact that around the clip the drama was published Jonson was implicated in the gun pulverization secret plan and it could be his conformation to the jurisprudence and abiding by it. Both texts are set off from the topographic point in which the audience is. whether by clip or topographic point. ’Volpone’ is set in Venice. a town. at the clip of authorship. good known for being corrupt and ‘The Wife of Bath’s Tale’ is set in Arthurian England. leting the writers of the texts licence to portray the message they wish to their audience without holding the text set to shut to place.

Both Jonson and Chaucer besides have a heavy usage of dry justness in the stoping of their texts. Jonson’s ‘Volpone’ implements this in the punishments/endings he gives his the characters. for illustration. through the entireness of the drama. Celia is invariably concerned with how she is objectified and how value is placed upon her. and after the test. her matrimony is ended and her dowery tripled. wholly beliing the position she has of herself. This illustration is linked with the patriarchal society as antecedently mentioned as at this clip a adult female was belongings of her male parent and so when she got married. belongings of her hubby. Similarly the remainder of the participants in ‘Volpone’ are punished harmonizing to their offenses. Mosca’s position as a retainer is reinforced. Corvino is publically humiliated. like he threatened to with Celia and Corbaccio’s estates are given to his boy Bonario despite Corbaccio’s want to disown him throughout the full drama. Chaucer presents a somewhat different type of dry justness nevertheless. as the knight who is being charged is really let off by the official tribunals as he manages to state the queen what adult females want.

However he is forced to get married the old beldam whom told him the reply as he made a promise to her that he would. The knight himself says ‘ Allas. and weilaway! I woot right wel that swich was my biheste. For Goddes love. as chese a new request’ . This is a usage of exaggeration. underscoring the fact he does non wish to get married person who is non of his choosing. This can be seen as dry justness as he raped a maiden. taking away her pick. and now his ain pick is being taken off. Stating this. by the terminal of the verse form. the beldam he is forced to get married bends into a beautiful adult female. basically contradicting his penalty and justifies his offense instead than penalizing him and acquiring requital for his victim. This is nevertheless. the woman’s pick. but it is possible that this is because she is given power. in the narrative. which is what adult females want most. shown in the knights test when he says ‘ “my lige lady. by and large. ” quod he. “wommen desiren to hold sovereynetee. As wel over his housbond as hir love. And for excessively been in maistrie hym above”’ . this can be seen as the knight one time once more over powering. although this clip with what he has learnt instead than physical force. and acquiring what he wants. another manner justness is non served

Another manner in which justness is distributed in the texts is the thought of justness and penalties due to the position of the ‘criminal’ . This is shown in ‘Volpone’ when Mosca is punished for seeking to over step his grade as a retainer and promote himself into the upper categories. by being punished forced to function for the remainder of his life. This is besides mirrored somewhat earlier in the drama. besides with Mosca. as when the ‘Avvocato’ think Mosca is of high category they are more than happy to let him to travel free and even offer their girls manus in matrimony to him. whereas merely minutes subsequently when he is revealed to be a retainer he is grouped with the remainder of the felons. proposing corruptness in the justness system. which links back with the fact that it is set in Venice. which money is a critical portion of. Similarly in the ‘Wife of Bath’ the knight’s position is used against him but in a somewhat different manner. In this instance. his knighthood is called into inquiry by his married woman. the beldam. as he is non following the knightly code by disregarding her whilst in bed. ‘Taak fyr. and ber it in the derkeste hous Bitwix this and the saddle horse of kaukasous. And lat work forces shette the dores and travel thenne ; Yet wole the fyr as faire lye and brenne As 20 thousand work forces myghte it biholde ; His office natureel ay wol it holde. Up hazard of my lyf. til that it dye. ’ The usage of the metaphor of the fire is the knights married woman stating a fire will ever act like a fire. in any state of affairs and he is expected to make the same.

Both dramas besides have a justness system mostly based on the penalty of self-importance and emotions instead than physical hurting. The Knight is forced to be with person that if he is seen in public with he will be judged and mocked and many of the offenses in Volpone are suiting of the offenses. However the colza in the narrative is non put frontward by the victim but alternatively is punished by society who takes duty for the unidentified victim. whereas in Volpone this is non the instance.

Overall justness and requital are non truly portrayed as things that are set in rock or that should be followed precisely ; alternatively in both texts the penalties are slightly slack for the offenses that are committed. It is clear that in each text that a remark is being made on the justness system of the clip. and although both texts are set off from their writing topographic point. obvious. particularly with the heavy usage of sarcasm. Besides there is a batch of exaggeration in both texts adding to the fact that the writers a commenting on the imperfectnesss in the justness systems.