the wife of bath’s tale
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The Wife of Bath’s Tale. By Geoffrey Chaucer. The Prologue. Before she could start she keeps being interrupted by the Pardoner She is going to tell her tale if she as though she is an expert at marriage and also as though she part of the “marriage group” - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The Wife of Bath’s TaleBy Geoffrey
Chaucer
The PrologueBefore she could start she keeps being
interrupted by the PardonerShe is going to tell her tale if she as though
she is an expert at marriage and also as though she part of the “marriage group”
The “marriage group” includes several stories that explore how men and women should behave in marriage.
The Tale – the backgroundShe starts off her tale by referring to the
Celtic belief of animism by telling how there use to be an Elf-Queen and fairies in the land.
The Celtic fairies have been irradiated by the FriarsWhich makes it safer for the women, exceptWomen must be wary of the Friars
“There is no other incubus but he,So there is really no one else to hurt you
And he will do no more than take your virtue”
The TaleA knight, “who was a lusty liver,” sees a
maiden and rapes her. Because violence toward women was so
against the chivalric code, he is sentenced, by the king, to be beheaded.
The queen begs her king to let her decide his punishment. Her theory: since it was a crime against a woman, a woman should decide the punishment.
The King grants her wish.
The Tale cont. The Queen challenges the knight to answer
one question in a year’s time in order to save his life.“What is the thing that women most desire?”
The knight goes to every house in the land to find the answer.
He gets all sorts of answers, but could not find the right one.
THE RIGHT
ANSWER!!
The Tale cont.Even though he cannot find the right answer,
he heads back to the Queen because his code of chivalry requires him to keep his promises
On his way there, he meets an old, wrinkly, gross woman
She says she will answer the riddle if the knight grants her first request
The Tale cont.He takes her to court with himAll of the women of the kingdom are thereThe Answer: women want power over menThe old woman jumps up and says “I told him
that and now he must marry me”The knight pleads for mercy because she is
disgusting to himHe loses – and is forced to marry the old,
wrinkly, hag
The Tale – cont.He hides from everyone on his wedding dayThe old woman lectures him on what makes a
good wifeShe offers him a choice –
A beautiful, but finicky, complaining wife orOr an ugly faithful one
He realizes her need for power, and lets her choose
She …..