In the end--in what could be a final moral--because the knight has learned the lesson that giving women dominance results in men's improvement, in mercy and benevolence, in love and fidelity and beauty, the knight lives a happy life with a woman who has independence of thought, of understanding, of opinion, of decision Click to see full answer.
What can we learn from the wife of Bath’s Tale?
In effect, the Wife of Bath’s Tale advocates for social reformation of masculinity as a proactive solution to sexual violence, situating punishment alone as a reactive and, thus, less productive response. As a medieval scholar, I am dedicated to the idea that there is much we can learn from our past.
What is the ending of the wife of Bath?
The Wife of Bath concludes with a plea that Christ send all women meek, young, and fresh husbands who will not outlive their wives. The Wife of Bath’s tale of the loathly lady who turns into a beautiful maid is a very common plot.
What is the twist in the wife of Bath's tale?
However, the Wife of Bath’s twist is that at the end of the day, women must have sovereignty over their husbands, and that a woman's faithfulness in fact depends on being given freedom. Raphel, Adrienne. "The Canterbury Tales The Wife of Bath’s Tale."
What does the prologue of the wife of Bath mean?
In her prologue, the Wife of Bath gives insight into her ideas on love, marriage, and men and sets up the themes which she will discuss in her story. The Wife of Bath was married five times and describes each of them.
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What does the knight learn at the end of the Wife of Bath's tale?
By the end of the tale, he gives up his power to his wife completely and graciously says, "I put me in your wise governance" (1237). After this statement, we want to believe he's reformed, and can almost forgive him for what a jerk he's been in the course of the tale.
What is the moral of the Wife of Bath's tale quizlet?
The Wife of Bath suggests the existence of fairies when she frames the tale. What is the moral of "The Wife of Bath's Tale"? It is best for husbands and wives when women rule the marriage.
What is ironic about the ending of the Wife of Bath's tale?
The old lady transforms into a new body she is not young and very beautiful. What is ironic about the Wife of Bath's ending to this story? ... She's more interested in the things women want than in the story. Perhaps she wants to create some suspense.
What warning does the Wife of Bath give at the end of the tale?
both beautiful and faithful to you. With what warning does the Wife of Bath end her story? First off, the old woman ends up becoming obedient of his every wish, which must stand as a warning to not try to please the whims of men. marry husbands who are humble and young and good in bed.
What is the author's structural purpose in including the Wife of Bath's Prologue in the Wife of Bath's tale?
What is the author's structural purpose in including the "Wife of Bath's Prologue" in "The Wife of Bath's Tale"? To maintain the frame story by keeping up with the other characters between the tales.
What does the Wife of Bath's philosophy regarding marriage reveal about her?
The Wife of Bath's Prologue begins with a defense of serial marriage. ... The Wife's argument moves on to be a defense of marriage, period. She insists that though those who choose to marry might not be as spiritually perfect as people who remain chaste all their lives, they are still fulfilling God's commandments.
What is the irony in Canterbury Tales?
In the story, three men set out to kill Death. They forget about Death when they find bags of gold by a tree. This is an example of dramatic irony because the reader knows that the tale is about the wickedness of greed. As the youngest of the three men fetches food and wine, the two older men secretly plot against him.
What is the function of irony in this tale?
Overall, as a literary device, irony functions as a means of portraying a contrast or discrepancy between appearance and reality. This is effective for readers in that irony can create humor and suspense, as well as showcase character flaws or highlight central themes in a literary work.
What is the moral lesson of Wife of Bath?
But whereas the moral of the folk tale of the loathsome hag is that true beauty lies within, the Wife of Bath arrives at such a conclusion only incidentally. Her message is that, ugly or fair, women should be obeyed in all things by their husbands. Read more about romance as a motif.
What is the lesson or moral of the Miller's tale?
"The Miller's Tale" suggests that cunning and cleverness are often used in an exploitative fashion. The character of Nicholas is an example of the way cunning and cleverness relate to the sin of pride.
What is the moral of Pardoner's tale?
The Pardoner's tale is presented as a straightforward fable with an obvious moral. Greed is the root of all sin, and the wage of sin is death. ... Once the Pardoner finishes his tale, he immediately scams his companions for money to absolve them of their sins.
The Wife of Bath: Description
The Wife of Bath is a strong woman. Chaucer describes her everything about her physical appearance, including that she was once beautiful, but focuses on her gap-tooth smile. The Wife claims this gap symbolizes sensuality and lust. She is not shy about describing her love life and sexual experiences.
The Wife of Bath's Prologue Themes
The Wife of Bath tells all these stories about her husbands as a way to show how important it is for women to have control over their husbands. Throughout her life, she has used her sexuality, and later her money and power, to ensure that she could make her husbands do whatever she wanted.
Close Reading of the Prologue
To begin with, take your class through a close reading of the Prologue to the Wife of Bath’s tale. This activity will involve reading what the Wife of Bath is saying, in order to get a gauge on the expectations for women at that time.
Connecting the Wife of Bath to Modern Times
Have your students bring in articles from magazines and online sources with advice for women in their relationships with men.
Writing Prompts for Students
These written responses offer several options when putting together a Wife of Bath activity.
What does the story "The Wife of Bath" mean?
The tale the Wife of Bath tells about the transformation of an old hag into a beautiful maid was quite well known in folk legend and poetry. One of Chaucer’s contemporaries, the poet John Gower, wrote a version of the same tale that was very popular in Chaucer’s time.
Why is the wife of Bath gone?
Now, those creatures are gone because their spots have been taken by the friars and other mendicants that seem to fill every nook and cranny of the isle. And though the friars rape women, just as ...
What does the loathsome hag ask the knight?
While in bed, the loathsome hag asks the knight why he is so sad. He replies that he could hardly bear the shame of having such an ugly, lowborn wife. She does not take offense at the insult, but calmly asks him whether real “gentillesse,” or noble character, can be hereditary (1109).
What does the woman tell the knight in the book of The Knight?
The woman tells the knight that he must pledge himself to her in return for her help, and the knight, having no options left, gladly consents. She then guarantees that his life will be saved.
Why does the knight give the woman what she most desired, the authority to choose for herself?
Because the knight’s answer gave the woman what she most desired, the authority to choose for herself, she becomes both beautiful and good. The two have a long, happy marriage, and the woman becomes completely obedient to her husband.
What does the knight tell the queen?
The knight and the old woman travel together to the court, where, in front of a large audience, the knight tells the queen the answer with which the old woman supplied him: what women most desire is to be in charge of their husbands and lovers. The women agree resoundingly that this is the answer, and the queen spares the knight’s life.