Canterbury Tales
Canterbury TalesChaucer's Character, the Wife of Bath, is a very unique woman during the Middle Ages. She takes pride in the knowledge of the remedies of love, she wears elaborate clothing, and she has gone to the altar five times. A lesson of domination and submission can be learned from the Wife of Bath and her relationship with each of the five men. The characterization and development of the Wife of Bath, as seen in the "General Prologue" and her individual prologue, are similar to the theme of the tale she tells.
The tale that the Wife of Bath shares begins with a scenario illustrating complete domination. When a man has complete domination over a woman, he misuses that power. In the tale, the knight raped a maiden. This situation is similar to that of the Wife of Bath and her first three husbands. She had all the power and domination over her husbands. They were constantly trying to satisfy her lust. She believed that the only way she could he happy was if she had complete sovereignty over her husbands. However, a relationship in which one member takes complete domination never results in happiness.
As the wife develops, he enters into a relationship where the powers of both dominance and submission are absent. She believes that her relationship can be successful with out these two characteristics. Yet, she is leaving out another important quality of a wonderful relationship: giving. This aspect of a relationship is also evident with the knight and the hag. When they are first wed to each other, neither one is happy. They are living together separately. They are indifferent to each other. A happy relationship will never result from a situation where spouses are not willing to give and become dependent on one another.
It is only with the fifth husband and the marriage of the knight and the hag, when the epiphany is reached. In many ways, these relationships are very similar. For example, in this instance, the Wife of Bath is the hag she creates. Both women...
To view the complete essay, you be registered.