The Physician's Tale

It is a domestic drama about the relationship between a daughter and her father, based on a tale from the Histories of Titus Livius and retold in The Romance of the Rose.

Additionally, Chaucer drew on John Gower's Confessio Amantis and the biblical story of Jephtha for inspiration.

[2][3] The Physician's Tale is widely considered by Chaucerian scholars to be a failure, largely due to its convoluted moral message.

He then informs Virginia of the events that have transpired and offers her two choices: to be shamed by Appius and lose her virtue or to die at her father's hand.

Recalling the story of Jephthah, Virginia asks for time to lament her position for a moment before consenting to death by her father's blade.

However, a thousand people burst into the room in response and defend Virginius, having heard of Claudius' false charges and reasoning that Appius had arranged it based on the judge's lecherous reputation.

Claudius is set to be hanged with the others who had helped Appius in his scheme; but Virginius, in a moment of clemency, asks that the peasant be exiled instead.

Farber states that Virginius's ultimatum to his daughter would not have been seen as the proper action for a father to take: "it turns out, audiences of the story other than the Host tend to agree, that this is bad governance."

However, Farber also argues in the other direction saying that "the responsibility does not lie entirely with Virginius: Virginia embraces her father's logic as well as his power and, voicing both, consents to her own death.

"[9] In short, Kline states that Virginia's sacrifice was not something noble but rather a tragic result of a series of unfortunate events.