# Sharing Joy and Sorrow explained — Household Tales

> Chapter companion for Household Tales by Jacob Grimm.

## What happens

A quarrelsome tailor repeatedly abuses his good, industrious wife, is imprisoned and forced to promise to share joy and sorrow with her, but continues his violent behavior, twisting the promise in court to claim he shares joy when he hits her and sorrow when he misses, for which the judges give him his deserved punishment.

## Themes in this chapter

### Virtue Rewarded and Vice Punished

The tailor's vice of abuse is punished by imprisonment and ultimately by the judges' final judgment.

### Promises and Their Consequences

The tailor's promise to share joy and sorrow is twisted and broken, leading to his punishment.

## Character check-ins

### the judge

The judge hears the tailor's case and ultimately gives him the reward he deserves.

## Key lines

> I have shared joy and sorrow with her also, for whenever I hit her I was full of joy, and she of sorrow, and if I missed her, then she was joyful, and I sorry.

The tailor claims that his violence fulfills the promise to share joy and sorrow, as he feels joy when he hurts her and she feels sorrow, and vice versa when he misses.

_This twisted logic highlights the tailor's refusal to accept responsibility and the perversion of the marital vow._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/household_tales_se/chapters/sharing-joy-and-sorrow
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/household_tales_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/household_tales_se/chapters