The Wife Of Bath's Prologue And Tale Comparison

Love is an everchanging concept. Throughout the years, the classification of it constantly goes through various changes, and the exact meaning of it is never truly defined as one definite definition. The most accurate method of describing love is examining the countless ways it can be represented. For each person, a new meaning takes hold of the very sought-after emotion. It is through the use of literary works that the concept of love has been able to somewhat receive a label. However, the meaning still begs to be disputed due to the differences and similarities seen within the works. This can be seen when one compares two works from two different time periods. With the various representations of love shown through Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The
While their similarities both had to do with the act of obtaining love no matter the limitations and not truly being chastised for the freedom of loving whomever they please, the works show a difference in how the author of each work presents the love each of their strong female characters feel. The Wife of Bath, for example, is shown as thinking of love from a more lustful and necessary point of view. This can be determined when she states “But wel I woot, expres, withoute lye,/God bad us for to wexe and multiplye” (Chaucer 273. 27-28). These lines, that roughly translate to the Wife’s belief that God wishes for her to love and, in turn, reproduce, express the way the Wife thinks of love. While it is her duty to marry, she does so with her own interests in mind, as it was previously shown earlier by her refusal to follow traditional courting mannerisms. In contrast, Haywood’s female character, Fantomina, exudes a love that goes beyond the aspect of lust and to a more obsessive level. While it can be presumed that her interactions with Beauplaisir had to do with a lustful approach from him, Fantomina shows throughout the work her need to love him that goes beyond lust. While the Wife happily goes through husbands, Fantomina remains infatuated by one man. Her love, or obsession, grows with each new persona she acquires in order to remain intimate with Beauplaisir. She even justifies her infatuation when the text states “she excused herself for what she had done” (Haywood 1038). This clear acknowledgment of her transgression and misbehavior towards Beauplaisir shows how her love has exceeded that of the Wife’s and demands to be