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)

I have heard the Wife of Bath referred to as the first literary feminist. Ladies, is the Wife of Bath's answer for what a woman wants most true to you? Gents, are you offended? http://www.picturequotes.com/funny-feminist-quote-1-picture-quote-610177

In the Wife of Bath's Tale, the knight's wife gives him the option to have an old, ugly wife that will be true to him, or a young, pretty wife that will be unfaithful. However, he gives her the power to choose, inherently giving her a degree of sovereignty in the relationship. As a reward, she turns into a young, beautiful woman and they live happily ever after. The idea that the correct answer to the wife's question was not to answer, but instead let her decide, is reminiscent of  what the Wife of Bath desires in her own marriages: power over her spouse, or at least an equal relationship. However, since the old woman was the only one who knew this, it can be speculated that the majority of people, at least in Chaucer's story, aren't aware of what women want in marriages, and therefore many wives may have been unhappy.  The Witch posing as an old woman to test the Prince's kindness. From Disney's Beauty and the Beast (disney.wikia.com).

The Wife of Bath’s Tale confused what I thought I knew about the gender structures of medieval times. The passage’s final words of wisdom were essentially that women want power. Whether over the home or the husband, The Wife of Bath’s Tale is saying women want power over it. This directly contradicts the accepted property laws of the time that gave the man of the house total ownership over all a family’s land. If this was the correct answer to not have the knight’s head chopped off, why does it not reflect the law more closely?

from Monty Python anth the Holy Grail (1975)     With the Wife of Bath's tale, Chaucer continues poking the fear held by men in his time (and indeed, still held by many) of women in command of their own sexuality, lives, and property. The Wife's tale draws from the stories of King Arthur. A young knight rapes a ypung woman of Arthur's court, and Arthur gives the Queen the duty of deciding an appropriate punishment. To such men, who believe that one sex must be dominant, having their punishment for crimes against a womanbe decided by women would be their worst nightmare