The Franklin's Tale

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I have no doubt that Dorigene is being 100% sarcastic in her proposal of a deal with Aurelius. After all, the tale does emphasize how impossible his side of the deal is. It’s exactly like saying, "I'm married, so you and I will be together when pigs fly." The modern reader is more familiar with the flying pigs translation, which allows it to look more like, "No, we will never be together." The only reason Dorigene uses sarcasm instead of outright denial is because she's obsessed with her husband's safe return. I don't think her sarcasm should have been held to the standards of a promise, but Aurelius does and becomes sick just trying to find a solution. If he knew the only reason she wants the rocks removed from the coast is so her husband can return home safely, maybe he would move onto the next, available chick; why the Hell would a woman promise to love someone if he could ensure the safe delivery of the man she currently loves? It just doesn’t make sense. In the end, it doesn’t matter if her deal was sarcastic or not because it was a promise. Arveragus promised he would never be jealous in their marriage, and he believes Dorigene must keep her promise to Aurelius, so he lets her go, which inspires Aurelius to let her go as well. This is my favorite element of the tale because, where two men usually battle for a woman, Aurelius and Arveragus do not.