The Wife Of Bath, By William Chaucer - 2261 Words

â€Å"I have had five husbands at the church door- if I may have been legally married so often; and all were worthy men in their different ways† (Chaucer 183). The Wife of Bath is portrayed as a very flamboyant and domineering character. She enjoys things such as romance, traveling, and talking. The Wife of Bath is a feminist who depicts through her tale her radical belief that women should have dominion over their husbands. As shown in the opening quotation, the Wife of Bath is not afraid to admit that she had experienced five marriages. The Wife of Bath’s radical beliefs are demonstrated through the phylogeny in â€Å"The Wife of Bath Prologue and Tales†, through utilizing sex to gain power, and through her feminist attitudes in each of her five marriages. The Wife of Bath begins her tale on what once was an isle of Britain full of fairies and elves. The area has now been taken over by friars and other mendicants. The tale begins with a young knight rapi ng a beautiful young maiden. Instead of decapitating the young knight, King Arthur’s Queen and her counsel decide on another challenge for the knight to complete. This challenge was for the young knight to discover what women desire most in the world. Should he succeed in this challenge, he will be fortunate enough to be able to keep his life. Still unsure of an answer to the challenge, the young knight heads to the castle to face his terrible fate. On his way, he meets an ugly old woman. This ugly old woman agrees toShow MoreRelatedWilliam Chaucer s The Wife Of Bath1347 Words   |  6 PagesGod. British literature begins to introduce a new archetype for women that writers follow in stories by describing them with motherly characteristics and taboo ideas in texts, such as the epic poem, Beowulf, Geoffrey Chaucer’s â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Prologue† and â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Tale† in The Canterbury Tales, and the play named The Begg ar’s Opera, which brings forth the idea of what is morally acceptable characteristics for women in literature and why writers portray women as antagonist or protagonistRead MoreWilliam Chaucer s Wife Of Bath s Tale1523 Words   |  7 Pagesshared code that dictates how one should act in any possible situation that may arise. While embarking on their epic journeys, knights are often put through trials that test the strength they have to uphold the Knightly Code. In Geoffrey Chaucer’s Wife of Bath’s Tale, the nameless knight disregards his duty to the Knightly Code in several instances throughout the tale. The knight in question is brought into Arthur’s court labeled with charges of rape. Posed a question by the queen the knight wasRead MoreThe Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer Essay1115 Words   |  5 Pagesa set of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the fourteenth century. The stories were told by a group of pilgrims traveling to Canterbury Cathe dral, in hopes to see a shrine of Saint Thomas Becket. To make time go by the host recommended each pilgrim tell a tale. The tale that each character gives, reveals that person’s background and life. Some pilgrims matched their stereotype of that time but most do not. The Prioress, Madame Eglentyne, and Wife of Bath, Allison, are two characters that doRead MoreSexual Relations in Wife of Bath Essay1008 Words   |  5 PagesRelations in Wife of Bath Sexual relations between men and woman have created issues of life and death from the beginning of time. In most classic Western beliefs it began when Eve with the help of the Devil seduced Adam thus leading the downfall of humanity into an abyss of sin and hopelessness. This issue arises in all literature from Genesis, Chaucer and into modern day. Authors, clerks and writers of all types have aided stereotyping women throughout history and Geoffrey Chaucer is not an exceptionRead MoreGender Stereotypes : Macbeth And The Wife Of Bath1515 Words   |  7 Pagesfemale, some authors such as William Shakespeare and Geoffrey Chaucer challenged this by describing the female characters as strong and ambitious characters. Not only challenging the sexual stereotypes that existed in both time periods, Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare also enabled the female characters both in Macbeth and The Wife of Bath exploit their sexuality to obtain the balance of power. Female characters in Macbeth and The Wife of Bath challenged the traits of stereotypicalRead More Chaucers Canterbury Tales - Anti-Feminist Beliefs in Millers Tale and Wife of Baths Tale1536 Words   |  7 PagesAnti-Feminist Beliefs in The Millers Tale and The Wife of Baths Tale    The Millers Tale and The Wife of Baths Tale feature two characters that, though they may appear to be different, are actually very similar. They both seem to confirm the anti-feminine beliefs that existed at the time Chaucer wrote his Canterbury Tales. However, they go about it in different ways. Alison, the woman in The Millers Tale, tries to hide the fact that she has a passion for men other than her husband, andRead MoreThe Fight For Gender Equality Essay1357 Words   |  6 Pageswomen within Chaucer and Shakespeare s literary work while keeping the historical, Middle Ages and Renaissance, time periods in mind. More Specifically, â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Prologue,† by Chaucer and â€Å"As You Like It,† by William Shakespeare will be examined. In doing so, the essay will uncover, not only the role of women within the poems, but the feminist aspects Chaucer and Shakespeare contain within both of their poems, and the progressive views certain characters had with in â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s PrologueRead MoreWomen During The Medieval Era Essay1535 Words   |  7 Pagesattacks the issue of expressing agency in a different way. Dhuoda is one of the first female authors seen, circa 843 AD. She exercises her agency by advising her children on how to survive at court. Dhuoda writes this work to act as a guide to her son William in his life endeavors. This is portrayed when Dhuoda states â€Å"Dhuoda is always here to exhort you, my son, but in the anticipation of the day when I shall no longer be with you, you have here as a memento of me this little book of moral counsels† (DhuodaRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Othello And The Canterbury Tales Essay1369 Words   |  6 PagesIn William Shakespeare’s novel, â€Å"Othello† and in Geoffrey Chaucer’s novel, The Canterbury Tales, include women throughout both novels. The novel, Othello is written in 1603 and The Canterbury Tales is written in the 1400’s, duri ng the late Middle Ages. Women during the Late Middle Ages and the early Modern Period were portrayed differently then how women are portrayed today. Typically, during this time period of 1400-1600’s, women roles during this time was weak. Women were only allowed to listenRead MoreEssay about Chaucers Wife of Bath2474 Words   |  10 PagesChaucers Wife of Bath Before beginning any discussion on Chaucer’s Wife of Bath, one must first recognize that, as critic Elaine Treharne writes, â€Å"Critical response to the Wife of Bath has been as diverse as it has been emotive† (2). Some critics love the Wife of Bath and her controversial prologue, proclaiming that she is a woman of strength and powerful words; others hate her and cover the eyes of younger girls, determined that Wife of Bath is instead a role model of what women should not