The Relationship Between the Teller and the Tale in The Wife
The Wife of Bath's Prologue is by far the longest prologue of the Canterbury Tales. Though lengthy is her description, the self-portrait provided is not nearly as clear-cut as that of the other characters. However, the underlying theme of this prologue reveals itself to be an account of the trials of marriage. Basing her description out of her own experience and speaking apart from the authority of the Bible, the Wife with her five marriages is well qualified to address the woes of matrimony. This theme leads directly into the Wife's tale. It is evident that what the Wife speaks of in her tale is most likely a description of what she desires from her partner. The setting of her story is in the time of King Arthur and speaks of a young knight who has been condemned to death for rape. At the request of the queen, the knight's life is spared. The stipulation to her securing his life is that he (the knight) must find out, within a year, what thing women most desire. The setting alone gives this story a universal appli
The answer which he provides is that above all, women desire sovereignty over their husbands. Then on the chosen day, the knight gives his answer to the court. cation and shows that its lesson can be applied elsewhere. The knight agrees and the old woman leans in to whisper the answer into his ear. Overall, the old woman symbolizes the Wife and the trials she has been through within her life and marriages. In the tale, the old woman offers to help the knight by providing the answer to his question only if he makes a promise. The ugly old woman in this case possibly represents how the Wife views herself as age has begun to take its toll. The Wife choosing what the knight must do to save his life is a clear representation that she herself has been unhappy or unsatisfied in her past marriages. Happy with the decision, the old woman then states she will not only be a faithful mate but also become young and beautiful. The Wife then tells that on the day that the knight must return home, he sees a group of fairies in the forest. This section could not be more obvious in that it reveals exactly what the Wife herself wants from a husband. After the knight delivers his answer, he returns to the old woman to whom he must now be wed. The knight's youth is also a possible a representation of the youth of the Wife's last husband who was much her junior as was told in the text of her prologue. When he approaches the dancers, they disappear and leave behind an ugly old woman.
Common topics in this essay:
King Arthur,
Canterbury Tales,
Bible Wife,
Bath's Prologue,
women desire,
ugly woman,
setting story,
answer question,
wife tells,
day knight,
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