The Canterbury Tales · Character
Dorigen
A noble wife who jests that she will love a suitor only when the black rocks of Brittany vanish from the coast.
supporting
First appearance: The Franklin's Tale
As a supporting figure in The Canterbury Tales, Dorigen is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Arviragus's wife, who makes a rash promise to Aurelius that she will love him if the coastal rocks are removed, and later struggles with the conflict between her word and her…
Dorigen is the faithful wife of Arveragus in the Franklin's Tale, a woman whose grief over the dangerous rocks off Brittany becomes the pivot of the story. When she playfully names an impossible condition to dismiss a persistent suitor, she binds herself to a promise she never expected to keep. Her anguish over what 'trouthe' demands of her drives the tale's central question about which obligation—to husband, to word, or to self—must yield.
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Character Web
6 connectionsA slice of how Dorigen sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Love, fidelity, and rash promises
- Noble romance and corruption
- Lower-class and bawdy characters
+1 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This passage marks the story's dramatic climax because it shifts the focus from the external, ritualistic acts…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingIn the story
Dorigen appears across 2 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Dorigen unlock in the free preview.
See Dorigen in The Franklin's Tale