Preview

The Wife Of Bath's Tale: Modern Women

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
228 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Wife Of Bath's Tale: Modern Women
In The Wife of Baths Tale, the wife of bath is considered a modern woman. Today’s definition of a modern woman, would be someone who was promiscuous, strong willed, and convincing. Today’s women know how to get what they want, by using what they have and she defiantly does that. The wife of bath likes to take control of her marriage doing as she pleases. She feels men should submit to her, and this is seen in today’s society with the saying “happy wife, happy life”. In the story, the knight was given the question what do most women desire most, the answer being most women desire to be dominate in their relationship. When he said his answer all of the women there agreed to his answer. Although many women would agree with this way of thinking,

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    This interpretation is weakened by the fact that the Wife of Bath herself conforms to a number of these misogynist and misogamist (antimarriage) stereotypes. For example, she describes herself as sexually voracious but at the same time as someone who only has sex to get money, thereby combining two contradictory stereotypes. She also describes how she dominated her husband, playing on a fear that was common to men, as the Pardoner’s nervous interjection reveals. Despite their contradictions, all of these ideas about…

    • 83 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Similarities and differences are easly spotted in a work of fiction. Alot of the time the author will make it very clear what he or she is trying to portray through their similarities and differences. In the Canterbury tales the autthor makes sure that you know that there are alot more differences than there are similarities. For example the Wife of Bath and the Pardoner, they are very different stories but the author seems to tie in their similarities and differences.…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Who Peynted The Lion

    • 278 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Wife of Bath and the Painting of Lions she states how Alisoun has often been characterize as attempting to do away with authority altogether, as setting up a heterodox doctrine of marriage based on female supremacy. This is what I best feel describes The Wife of Bath clearly. She is someone who wants to change how her gender is being treated through the eyes of the superior…

    • 278 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    I usually look at the picture in the class and the worksheet for any hint of an answer to our group work. The pictures of Queen Elizabeth help remind us that she too was once like us, young and lively. Through this, we can related to her as a young adult, rather than an old political figure we see her as today.…

    • 284 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Wife of Bath's story compliments her (first or early on scene), since it bolsters the subject of control of men by ladies what she worked hard with every one of her spouses. Dissimilar to the next individuals who recount stories (or falsehoods), she doesn't speak to a social class, be that as it may she speaks to every one of the ladies in the medieval…

    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    One of the stereotypes that existed during this time regarding woman was their inability to understand the meanings within the bible. Woman were also seen as gold-diggers, only marrying for money. They believed that if woman were to be educated about the bible, they would use it to justify their sins. The Wife of Bath’s confirms this by saying, “where can you say, in any kind of age, that our high God has forbidden marriage expressly, in what word? I pray, tell me. Or where did he command virginity?” ( ). The Wife of Bath’s confirms every stereotype at one point, however, she also challenges them. By using passages from the bible she and she own experiences she challenges these stereotypes.…

    • 121 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Primarily, the “Wife of Bath’s Tale” reveals that one should have sovereignty over her significant other. The Wife of Bath conspicuously states her…

    • 1296 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    When studying the Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Wife of Bath’s Tale, both coming from the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, you see a common theme of feminism. Also, you get a good sense of the of the anti feminist cultural norms and ideas regarding women in the medieval era. Alisoun, The Wife of Bath, focuses most upon the common stereotypes of women. These stereotypes include the idea that women only marry into money in order to live a lavish lifestyle off of their husband’s income as well as the belief that women will never stop talking to their husbands. Stemming from this, the common belief among men was that if you were to get married, it would ruin your chances of success later in life. The Wife of Bath opposed all of these…

    • 802 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    After reading this line, readers are able to conclude that the Wife of Bath believes that women are superior to men—they are neither bold nor wise. The Wife of Bath wants to spread her cult—she wants the other women to become powerful and superior to their husbands—just like she is. For instance, line 234 translates to the following: a woman should swear and lie to their husband—they have the power to do it (Benson). In line 235, the Wife of Bath makes it clear that her advice is not meant for the wise wives (Benson). Therefore, the readers are able to argue that the wise wives that listen to her advice—take a moment to reflect on their wise manipulation skills. In line 236, the readers learn that the Wife of Bath’s advice is also intended to seek the attention of the wise wives that have been improperly advised on how to make their husbands feel guilty—by using their effective manipulation skills…

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the Wife of Bath's tale women's biggest desire was to have sovereignty over lover. I think this is true. Not only for women, but for men as well. We all want the upper hand when it comes to gender, but in order for gender preference to stop we have to change our way of thinking.…

    • 434 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The wife of bath is a very confident woman who, in the prologue of her tale, talks about her five husbands. She seems very satisfied with her life and her choices; she is fulfilled regardless of the men she was married to. Even with all their deaths, she remains happy and independent. “But even now I will strive to be merry.” (Lines 478-479) The story she tells is about a knight who, after he rapes a young girl, is forced by the queen to find out what women desire the most. He finally discovers that what women want the most is to have sovereignty over their husbands. This goes directly along with the character of the wife of bath, who loved the control she had over her husbands more than anything else. The story proves that the answer to what women want the most is not just one static statement. What a person desires most in life depends on their own character and their own…

    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Wife Of Bath Analysis

    • 707 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Back then, the men were the ones in power and the women were either wives or nuns. Wife of Bath completely broke off from tradition and from the Church beliefs. She used her body sexually as a way to influence her husbands into satisfying her needs. One can notice the control she had over men when she states, “I laugh now when I think how pitifully by night I made them swink… they’d given me their gold, and treasure more; I needed not do longer diligence to win their love” (lines 201-206). According to this, one can infer that Wife of Bath used the power of sex as a way to gain wealth from her husbands. Along with money, her biggest desire was also sovereignty. A husband needs to allow to be dominated by his wife, so that in return the wife is able to please him. When Wife of Bath is telling her tale she helps readers understand the power women have over men by detailing the relationship between the King and Queen. “But that the Queen, and the other ladies too, implored the king to exercise his grace so ceaselessly, he gave the queen the case” (lines 70-72). Clearly it is shown how the King gave into the Queens request, demonstrating the control women can have on their husbands or lovers. Evidently, the dominant characteristic in Wife of Bath is a keen factor that contributes to the overall theme of the story.…

    • 707 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Canterbury Tales Response

    • 1012 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The novel contains many stories on how females were portrayed during medieval times. A tale in the novel called The Wife Of Bath's Tale, gives a common situation in which a man must pursue a women, but not for marriage. The Knight must find what women desire most in order to not be executed for rape. He finally finds the answer from an old woman, who tells him that all women desire to be in charge of their husbands/lovers. For example, Chaucer writes, “A women wants the self-same sovereignty, over her husband as over her lover, and master him he mustn't be above her (p. 282). “ This statement is more or less true, and is showing how women want to be their own person, but at the same time be viewed as equally powerful to their male counterparts. Women aren't the problem, the problem is what society expects them to be. Although the conflict concerns a man trying to get out of being killed for a crime, the women in this story serve a greater, and thoughtful purpose. Ultimately, the knight marries the old woman, but isn't satisfied because of her appearance. In contrast, the woman doesn't take offense to his behavior, instead…

    • 1012 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    When reading the Wife of Bath, by Geoffrey Chaucer, one may automatically assume that Allison, herself, is a feminist. Essentially, her façade shows this through her promiscuity and the power she has had over her five husbands. However, the Wife of Bath is anything but a feminist. She hides her anti-feministic ways through her contradiction of personality, from a sex crazed "dominant" to a dependent submissive. Her anti-feminist ways are portrayed through her ways of manipulating her husbands. Also, her true self surfaces whenever she speaks about her sexuality, mainly when quoting scripture. In a sense, her feministic mannerisms serve as proper evidence that she is clearly an anti-feminist.…

    • 430 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In “The Wife of Bath’s Tale,” Chaucer uses the old woman’s unexpected contrasts between good poverty and bad wealth to show that poverty is actually better than being wealthy. The old woman describes “The poor can dance and sing in the relief / Of having nothing that will tempt a thief/ Though it can be hateful, poverty is good, / A great incentive to a livelihood” (270). Although her life is near the bottom of the social hierarchy, “dance and sing” suggests hope, happiness, and celebration. Adding on, “great incentive” adds a positive perspective towards poverty as if it is not as bad as one thinks because the poor have a lot of motivation to work for a living. She suggests that if one is not wealthy, one can enjoy their lives by looking in a positive direction. Furthermore, the old woman illustrates her life as a lower class, and suggests that “Poverty often, when the heart is lowly/Brings one to God and teaches what is holy /gives knowledge of oneself” (290). The old woman is poor and taught herself to become self-sufficient, and poverty taught her “what was holy.” and also taught morals of what is right and wrong, and one’s true talents. Wealth might seem as a success, but the Old Woman says “Poverty is, though wanting in estate/ a kind of wealth that none calumniate” (290). “Wanting” is to lack, “estate” as social class or the possession of money, and “calumniate” meaning making false and defamatory statements, suggesting that “Poverty” can not be criticized. Although the old woman’s family is destitute, the real poverty lies in the rich’s avarice, where the wealthy are unable to stop their greediness. The old woman suggests the humorous contrast that the poor value their possessions, whereas the high class’s visions are clouded due to not appreciating towards their surroundings which leads to avarice for material possession. Lastly, the repetition of “poverty” signifies the position of the woman is in, and although her status may not be superior, the wisdom…

    • 379 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays