The Moral Of Wife Of Bath - 990 Words

Dominant and submissive roles have existed in relationships between men and women since the dawn of time. Since then, Women have overturned public oppressions, e.g. working outside the house, voting, and having equal rights to men, but have yet to establish a non-submissive relationship with their male partners. The moral of Wife of Bath is the desire women have to have power over their husband and how this dominance is beneficial for them and through the course of the tale, the speaker makes an effort to express her views of control in a happy marriage. The moral of Wife of Bath is that happiness in a relationship is when a woman is able to have control over her husband against a backdrop of the submissive wives of the Middle Ages. The prologue portrays a jovial woman who introduces herself and her beliefs on marriage. She has never been fond of authority and attributes her expertise in relationships to marriages with five different men. The Wife of Bath’s tale depicts a knig ht who needs to learn women’s greatest desire within a year in order to avoid beheading. The knight learns that â€Å"women desire to have the sovereignty and sit in rule and government above their husbands, and to have their way in love† (Lines 156-8). In the end, the sovereignty the knight gives to his old wife transforms her into a young woman and, â€Å"they lived in full joy to the end† (Line 325). The tale is not only a reflection of one’s interest to dominate a relationship, but also a needShow MoreRelatedThe Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer Essay1115 Words   |  5 Pagesbackground 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 do not fit their stereotype of the Middle Ages. Geoffrey Chaucer demonstrates a reflection of change in The Canterbury Tales by comparing their appearances, actions, and morals. The Prioress and Wife of Bath do not match the typical appearance of their character in the Middle Ages. Chaucer gives the Prioress abnormal pieces of clothingRead MoreThe Wife of Bath Essay587 Words   |  3 PagesThe Wife of Bath The Wife of Bath is the tale of an independent and headstrong woman. She strongly believes in the worth of every woman and that women should be dominant in their marriages. The Wife of Bath also directly speaks against strict religious claims for chastity and monogamy, using Biblical examples. These examples include Solomon to show that the Bible does not openly condemn all expressions of sexuality, even outside of marriage. The major characters of the Tale of the WifeRead MoreMoral In The Canterbury Tales1221 Words   |  5 PagesMoral of the Story in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales have an ultimate lesson at the end, just as every other literary work does. In some of them, he simply states what it is, or some may have to be inferred. During the time, many social and historical events were taking place, and in some instances, Chaucer chose to base the moral around it. While reading The Canterbury Tales, the audience gets entertainment and a basic knowledge of what life what like through the lessons heRead More Debatable Decisions by the Wife of Bath Essay1120 Words   |  5 PagesQuestionable Decisions by the Wife of Bath In The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer creates a wonderfully complex character in the Wife of Bath. She exhibits many traits easily identifiable as virtuous--honesty, cheerfulness, and the desire to follow the teachings of the Bible. At other times she reveals traits easily perceived as negative--greed, cruelty, and promiscuity. By the end of her tale to the other pilgrims, more light is shed on her character when it becomes apparent that her taleRead More Wife of Bath in Chaecers Canterbury Tales Essay912 Words   |  4 PagesGeoffrey Chaucer the story tells about men and women going on pilgrimages, among them the Wife of Bath in search of her 6th husband, who go on a journey to pay their respect to Sir Thomas à ¡ Becket. During the story the Wife of Bath strongly expresses herself as a very strong woman and knows what she expects with the men shes with. As well as this, with all her beauty and respect she was given in life the Wife of Bath displays herself highly. Finally, she ideals her actions with the knowledge she knowsRead More Character Analysis of The Wife of Bath of Chaucers Canterbury Tales1623 Words   |  7 Pages Character Analysis of The Wife of Bath of Chaucers Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales is Geoffrey Chaucers greatest and most memorable work. In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer uses a fictitious pilgrimage [to Canterbury] as a framing device for a number of stories (Norton 79). In The General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer describes in detail the pilgrims he meets in the inn on their way to Canterbury. Chaucer is the author, but also a character and the narrator, and acts likeRead MoreWife Of Bath Chaucer Analysis702 Words   |  3 Pagescontroversial characters, the Wife of Bath. Dame Alison, the Wife of Bath, gained her notoriety by deviating from the normal ideals of women in this time period. While most women in this time period were expected to be obedient to their husbands, Alison demands the submission of men her relationships. Like all of Chaucer’s characters, Dame follows her prologue by telling her own story, which directly parallels her own morals and beliefs. As seen in her prologue, the Wife of Bath was first married off whenRead MoreChaucers Canterbury Tales: The Wife of Bath Essay837 Words   |  4 Pagescharacter in the ensemble is entitled to a prologue, explaining his or her life and the reasons for the tale, as well as the actual story, meant to have moral implications or simply to entertain. One narrative in particular, that of the Wife of Bath, serves both purposes: to teach and to amuse. She renounces the submissive roles of a woman and reveals the moral to her story while portraying women as sex seeking, powerful creatures, an amusing thought indeed. Through her didactic discourse and witty taleRead MoreChaucers Views On Wife Of Bath And Feminism1529 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"Views on Wife of Bath and Feminism† In the time period of the 14th century, many woman faced inequality. Women were not viewed to uphold the same quota as men. Most females were viewed as passive to males and were not able to make many demands in their relationships or make any contributions to their own survival or life. In the â€Å"Wife of Bath Tale†, written by Geoffrey Chaucer, Chaucer gives an insight into the struggles of a woman. Chaucer gives a voice for women who cannot speak for themselvesRead MoreArguments For Favor Of Marriage969 Words   |  4 Pagescontrary, she speaks of the husband s dette to his wife, Also, while she claims Biblical support for her views on marriage, the support that she cites is conveniently edited to suit her purposes (for example, Solomon did have 700 wives and 300 concubines -- but his appetites led to his turning away from God; and the marital relationship specified in the Bible is a reciprocal one rather than the one-sided one she speaks of, tilted in favour of the wife -- she conveniently ignores that while the he also