A look at the role of the Wife of Bath in the "General Prologue" and the portrayal of the carpenter's young wife in "The Miller's Tale" from Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales".
1,437 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 0 sources, 2009, $ 47.95
Abstract This paper examines the similarities between the Wife of Bath in the "General Prologue" and the the carpenter's young wife in "The Miller's Tale" in Goeffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales". It looks at how they are both named Alisoun and how their identities are arguably defined by their wifehood. Both wives are wealthy by default but not of noble class standing, rather they married their way up. Both can also be considered lascivious and both may be said to defy gender stereotypes and expectations of the time. The paper also discusses how the physical descriptions of women in "The Canterbury Tales" often seem to mirror their characters and how this sets up the two wives on the opposite spectrum of physical appearance.
From the Paper "Alisoun, the Wife of Bath, is best described as an old hag. The first thing the narrator notes about her is a sign of physical decay, her deafness on one ear, saying that "she was somdel deef" (446). Only she herself later reveals that this is not due to senility. Thus, she is immediately situated her as an older, if not elderly woman, though she may, in truth, be no older than forty. In the passage I studied in detail, this assumption is further underlined by the description of her five marriages and the multiple pilgrimages she has made to far-away places: "She had been three times at Jerusalem... at Rome, and at Boulogne, In Galicia at Saint-James (of Compostella), and at Cologne" (462-466). Since traveling in the Middle Ages was a lengthy, exhausting and dangerous process, the conclusion lies near that the Wife of Bath has lived a long, diverse life and is none the more attractive for it. "
Abstract This paper discusses and summarizes selected stories from "The Canterbury Tales" and examines Chaucer's portrayal of love and marriage as painful and foolish pursuits.
From the Paper "Palamon and Arcite both embody different attitudes and styles of love. Palamon's love is romantic. He worships Emelye as his ideal, and considers her a goddess. Arcite's love, on the other hand, is chivalrous. He upholds the creed of honor of medieval knighthood and, in his dying speech, begs Emelye to be fair with Palamon, saying "in this world right now ne knowe I non/ So worthy to ben loved as Palamon." [8] Despite his "stryf and rancour," with Palamon, Arcite is honorable to the last, assuring Emelye that Palamon is worthy because he has won their duel fairly."
Abstract This paper looks at how Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" are narrated by a group of pilgrims on a pilgrimage from Southwark to Canterbury and how the themes of these stories fluctuate between chivalric knight-hood and sexual deceit. In particular, it examines the theme of one's desire for justice and looks at how two of the stories,, "The Reeve's Tale" and "The Miller's Tale," are under constant debate as to whether or not the deceitful acts taken place are balanced out. The paper attempts to show that one may find ample evidence within these texts that justice is achieved through a series of comically unfortunate events.
From the Paper "The "Miller's Tale," the second tale told, is a story that exemplifies the meaning of fidelity and how poorly we perceive it. How one acquires these euphoric satisfactions comes in many different forms. The severity of vengeful acts vacillates with the seriousness of the situation. It also depends on the gender of those who are seeking justice. In most cases, men resort to their masculinity and strength; while women often resort to a more subtle retribution. Although men and women differ in many ways, they are all driven primarily by hormones and libidos. Henceforth, the attainment of reprisal through devious sexual activities. Chaucer understood that the ideal marriage was a concept that was taken lightly amongst all those who wedded in his time. One of the most significant motives behind infidelity in Chaucer's era was due to an arranged marriage. In the 14th century, many women, at a young age, were married off against their consent."
