Patient Griselda
The character Patient Griselda is based on the wife in "Clerks Tale" of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. Griselda is a poor peasant who is chosen to the wife of the Marquis if she promised to obey him always. They are married, and have a baby girl. However, when the baby was only six weeks old, the Marquis made her give it up. Griselda was tested again four years later when she had a son. The Marquis had their son taken away after two years when the people became angry about it. Twelve years after that, she was forced to go home. She did all this obediently, and even planned his other wedding for him, only to be rewarded by a reunion with her children and a place back at his side.