Self & Society: British Lit @Hood College

In the Wife of Bath's Tale there is a knight that is talked about. From my understanding he took advantage of a girl and the King wanted to kill him. I did some googling and this was what I gathered from it. So he basically raped this girl for no other reason than that he simply wanted to. Then these girls begged the King not to kill him and sent him instead on a mission. A mission to find out what it is that women really want. I found this odd, I remember thinking it was strange in high school as well when I read this. Why would they want him to stay alive after he did that awful thing, and why would they send him on such a wild goose chase. Theres the phrase, "A happy wife is a happy life" and this came to mind while I was reading because there is such truth in that statement. The Knight ends up coming up with the answer that women just want control of the relationship. This is an interesting concept, and I agree to a certain extent. Women like to be in control and have...

The answer to Queen Guinevere's question was that women want to rule over their husbands and love (not as in to completely dominate, but as a good ruler would, hence using the word "sovereignty"). During the story, we see the Knight go from being a man, who had completely taken away a maiden's choice when he raped her, to a man who willingly yielded the power over him to his much older wife. The Knight learned his lesson, but no matter how many times I read this, I still can't get over him both living and having his happy ending. Something I'm curious about is whether the old woman knew of his crime. He never tells her why he's searching for what women want, so does she know? If so, why did she want to marry him? If not, I wonder what her reaction would be? Credit: StoryboardThat by subaca http://www.storyboardthat.com/storyboards/subaca/the-wife-of-bath%27s-tale

The lines state ,"In parfit joye. And Jesu Crist us sende/Housbondes meke,yonge,and fresshe abedde,/And grace t'overbyde hem that we wedde./And eek I preye Jesu shorte hir lyves/That noght wol be governed by hir wives;And olde and angey nigardes of dispence,/God sende hem some verray pestilence"(1258-1264). I believe in these last lines the Wife of Bath calls to Jesus and asks him to help all woman live longer than their husbands?

"Unto this day it dooth myn here bote (good) That I have had my world as in my tyme. But age, allas! that al wol envenyme, (poision) Hath me biraft my beautee and my pith." (vigor) Pg. 112 (472-475)

"And so bifel that this King Arthour/hadde in his hous a lusty bacheler" (882-883)

In the reading it states, "And whan the knight saugh verraily al this, That she so fair was and so yong therto, For joye he hente hire in his armes two; His herte bathed in a bath of blisse. A thousand tyme a-rewe he gan hire kisse, And she obeyed him in every thing That might doon him plesance or lyking."(lines 1250-1256). This leaves me wondering is that all that pleased him and made him give her 1,000 kisses? Was it not that it made her happy or that she was happy that would please him? What is it that makes her happy and would he please her?

"Somme seyde wommen loven best richesse,/ Somme seyde honour, somme seyde jolynesse;/ Somme riche array, somme seyden lust abedde..." (925-927) "A man shal wine us best with flaterye;/ And with attendance and with bisinesse" (932-933)