The word he uses: “tormentour,” “dreddest hir oppressioun,” and “thou no savour,” have religious connotations to them. Only God would have power to control people’s fortune. He uses words to describe possibly the anti-savour, or even the devil, and these are harsh accusations. She replies in a powerful, unapologetic way, and appears offended that a mortal man could speak to her in this manner. She finds him ungrateful and wretched, asks if he has gone hungry, or has his friend passed away yet, she has boasts how she has been merciful to him: “Sey thus: 'Graunt mercy of thyn haboundaunce/That thou hast lent or this. 'Why wolt thou stryve?/What wostow yit how I thee wol avaunce?/And eek thou hast thy beste frend alyve.”(29-32) I find her language to be mocking the monotheistic God, because the plaintiff has been raised to thank Him, and be grateful for the little mercy God can give, while Fortune is extra luxury, no person is entitled to her bestowing luck onto men. There is a
The word he uses: “tormentour,” “dreddest hir oppressioun,” and “thou no savour,” have religious connotations to them. Only God would have power to control people’s fortune. He uses words to describe possibly the anti-savour, or even the devil, and these are harsh accusations. She replies in a powerful, unapologetic way, and appears offended that a mortal man could speak to her in this manner. She finds him ungrateful and wretched, asks if he has gone hungry, or has his friend passed away yet, she has boasts how she has been merciful to him: “Sey thus: 'Graunt mercy of thyn haboundaunce/That thou hast lent or this. 'Why wolt thou stryve?/What wostow yit how I thee wol avaunce?/And eek thou hast thy beste frend alyve.”(29-32) I find her language to be mocking the monotheistic God, because the plaintiff has been raised to thank Him, and be grateful for the little mercy God can give, while Fortune is extra luxury, no person is entitled to her bestowing luck onto men. There is a