Canterbury Tales Essay

Question:

Using The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, what can one infer about women by the way Chaucer portrays relationships throughout the book?

Thesis Statement:

Chaucer, who at times may seem like a sexist or misogynist by the way he portrays women in The Canterbury Tales, may actually be making a strong statement about the difference between an older more experienced woman and a young experimental woman. He does this by the reoccurring themes of unholiness and unfaithfulness of women in The Wife of Bath, Miller's, and Merchant's Tales.

Pardoner's Tale

The Pardoner of Geoffrey Chaucer's, The Canterbury Tales, is undeniably a greedy hypocritical man. He constantly preaches that radix malorum est Cupiditas, or greed is the root of all evil. Yet, he eventually admits that he is greedy and basically cheats people out of their money. Obviously, the Pardoner does not see much fault in his wrongdoings because " Jesu Christ...grant(s) pardon and relieve(s) you of sin." (257) He also finds that his "antics are a joy to see." (243) He claims that "anyone in the church guilty of sin (needs his) relics (to) acquit themselves of blame." (242) Yet, in the end, he could care less about what actually happens to them, whether they are relieved of sin or "blackberrying for all (he) care(s)." (243) At the end of the day, the Pardoner is satisfied as long as he has his pockets full of money.

Wife of Bath Inferences 2

1. She doesn't fancy the Church.

"Show me a time or text where God disparages or sets a prohibition upon marriages...Show it to me!" (260)

"And where did he command virginity? Advice is no commandment in my view." (260)

2. She is very opinionated.

"If you will let me speak...please don't be offended by my views." (263)

3. She is self-centered and selfish.

"They'd given me their treasure." ( 264)

4. She takes marriage loosely.

"I have wedded five! Welcome the sicth, whenever he appears. No sooner than one husband's dead and gone some other Christian man shall take me on...I am free to wed...where

it pleases me." (259)

5. She is greedy.

"In bed with them...(they) paid a fee; and then I let them do their nicety." (269)

6. She is controlling.

"I'll have a husband yet who shall be both my debtor and my slave...mine shall be the power over his proper body." (262)

7. She is a feminist.

"No one can be so blod- I mean no man-" (264)

"A knowing wife if she is worth her salt, can always prove her husband is at fault." (264)

8. She is insecure.

"We women hide our faults but let them show once we are safely married." (266)

9. She is educated.

"Sir Ptolemy who, in his Almagest, has set this proverb down..." (267)

Wife of Bath Question and Paragraph

What can one infer, using the Wife of Bath tale, about relationships between men and women and the quest for sovereignty over the classic dominant partner in a relationship, the male?

In majority of relationships between Alison, the main character, and her husbands, there was a more dominant person who sometimes unintentionally forced their partner to find sovereignty in the arms of another lover. Alison had previously been wed to five different men and awaited the sixth; yet, she had little or no respect at all for four of her husbands who yielded their gold and land to please her. In fact, Alison treated her men as her slaves more than sacred companions. It is possible to suggest that she was insecure about herself and how she was viewed by her mate; therefore, this attribute forced her to yearn to be the controlling or dominant person in the relationship. By doing so, she mischievously guaranteed her wealth and felt empowered.