Is Custaunce someone who encompasses the seven virtues, thus
she is seen as desirable because she is the embodiment of the most positive attributes
of Christianity?
The seven virtues are generally thought to be Prudence, Constancy, Justice,
Temperance, Faith, Hope and Love. The
first four were considered the natural virtues, and were lauded from much
earlier by Greek Philosophers as things which makes a person great. Being even
tempered and balanced, being consistent in your dealings with the world, making
smart decisions, and acting in a fair and just manner were explained as the
best way to live a moral life. The final
three, as seen in 1 Corinthians 13, are the three cardinal virtues—Faith, Hope
and Love/Charity, each offering different ways to interact and integrate faith
into anyone’s life. As James Kennan
wrote in his article “Proposing Cardinal Virtues,” that “Philosophers and
theologians have recognized that being virtuous is more than having a
particular habit of acting, e.g. generosity. Rather, it means having a
fundamental set of related virtues that enable a person to live and act morally
well.”
This makes me think that perhaps Custance is someone who
shows different examples of these traits, and thus is attractive to others,
because she does what St. Francis of Assisi encouraged by preaching the gospel
to all nations, and if necessary, use words.
While we don’t see active interaction by Custance in most of the Man of
Law’s tale, are these seven traits the things which make her so desirable to
others and make her the best woman in the story?
Do you see these trait in her? Do they make her attractive or desirable? What do you think?
Keenan, James F. "Proposing Cardinal Virtues." Theological
Studies 56.4 (1995): 709-729. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Apr.
2013.
Now that you mention it, I can see each of those traits in Custaunce. There are certainly times when she seems to have lost hope, as she bewails the thralldom of women for example. Yet, she comes back and manages to exhibit most of the Fruts of the Spirit most of the time. I certainly think that they meant to make her both attractive and desirable and I may tend to see it that way too, but I think she is also that way so the story can demonstrate how she need not lose hope because she is helpless for God will be her “champion” and break as many necks as need be so His plan for her comes together.
ReplyDeleteI think that she is a definite example of a character that encompasses all of the virtues. I think it is most obvious that she is a true moral person in her absolute trust in God's plan for her, her spreading of his word, and her conduct when she is in "distress." However, did you see that her virtues were more obvious in comparison to her mothers-in-law? Would she appear as virtuous a character if there were not evil women to contrast her with?
ReplyDeleteI doubt she would seem, so virtuous because she would not have an opposing force. The events that happened forced her to be more virtuous; without them there is no proof that she would need to be,
DeleteI think after Griselda, her character is the most virtuous character in the text. I think she embodies all these qualities as she is being shipped around and threatened. She is primarily showing the virus of faith and patience.
ReplyDelete