Character Analysis
Although he's a minor character, only appearing twice to spirit Grisilde's children away to Bologna at Walter's command, the Sergeant gets a lot of abuse from the narrator, who claims: "Suspecious was the diffame of this man / Suspect his face, suspect his word also" (540-541). When tasked with taking away Grisilde's child, he does so menacingly, "as though he wolde han slayn it er he wente" (536).
Despite his apparent enjoyment at terrorizing Grisilde, the Sergeant claims he does this only on Walter's orders. He reminds Grisilde that the orders of such a man must be obeyed without question. Still, we can't help feeling that the sergeant is heartless, so what does it mean that other than Grisilde, it's a nasty person like the Sergeant who is the only other character to demonstrate absolute obedience? The Sergeant's absolute obedience makes us question Grisilde's absolute obedience. Is one kind good and another bad?
The Sergeant's Timeline