Theme Of Payback In The Shipman's Tale

One recurring theme in Geoffrey Chaucer’s, The Canterbury Tales, is payback. Many of the tales are fabliaux, so they consist of naughty characters and oodles of payback. The characters each possess multiple characteristics, including caritas and cupiditas. Because of these traits, the characters in Chaucer’s tales are often prone to partake in immoral or moral activities. The activities result in payback dished out and received. The payback can come in many forms, including vengeful, violent, childish, karmic, or sexual. It can also come from many sources in, The Canterbury Tales, like family, friends, spouses, Satan, and God. Chaucer reminds his readers that no good deed goes unpunished and all will get theirs in the end, whether deserved

In the beginning of “The Shipman’s Tale”, the Shipman speaks to the pilgrims, reminding them that in Heaven, God will pay them back for their sins. He states, “But woe to him that has to pay for all!” (157). Chaucer is using an example of karmic payback to remind his readers that if not paid back for their wrongdoings on earth, they will surely be in heaven when meeting with God face to face. No one can escape their sins because someone is always watching. Sexual payback also occurs between spouses who often pay each other back with sexual favors in “The Shipman’s Tale”.The wife of the merchant provides an example of this payback when saying to her husband, “I’ll pay you readily… I am your wife so score it on my tally...I’ll never pay except in bed” (168). Since she used her husband’s money to buy new clothes after he told her not to do so, he became upset with her. The wife then assures him she is not like his other clients who do not pay their bills because she will pay him back in bed whenever he wishes with sexual favors. The tale includes the theme of payback in a sexual way, as well as karmic where the pilgrims and readers become reminded that God will pay them back for their sins in