Once a woman was married things changed little. She was a part of her husband's property and he did what suited him best. Women were only allowed to go to religious activities. They were expected to obey their husbands in every way, shape, and form. They were expected to be above reproach, or their reputation would be smeared and probably violence taken upon them. (Duby, 285-290)
             In fact, during the fourteenth century, it was perfectly legal for a man to beat his wife. The code in France was that a man could beat his wife as long as he didn't kill her. In Spain, one law said that it was actually permissible for a man to kill his wife or his fiancé if she cheated on him. In England a man was "to "correct" his wife in whatever manner was suitable (Geis, ).
             This form of complete submissiveness that was such a popular idea in Chaucer's time was precisely the idea that I believe he tried to parody in the Clerk's Tale. Grisilde embodies all of the qualities that medieval society praised. She is quiet, has a sweet disposition, is beautiful, and is utterly and completely dominated by her husband. No matter what he did to her, she remained devoted to him.
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