Throughout the Canterbury Tales women are treated as objects. In the "Knight's Tale" a beautiful maiden is sought after by two men, men willing to do whatever it takes to have her. The carpenter in the "Miller's Tale" married a young and beautiful women, and she is pursued by two men because of her beauty. Two students exact revenge upon a miller in the "Reeve's Tale" by sleeping with his wife and daughter, taking their revenge on the miller by violating his possessions. Finally, in the "Wife of Bath's Tale" a knight rapes a woman, and then despises his wife because she is ugly and poor. By acting this way the knight displays ignorance in his attitude towards women, treating them as nothing more than objects. Women in the Canterbury Tales are often given a worth, defined by their looks, upbringing, and wealth. Women are not sought after for their intelligence, knowledge, ability, or wisdom. It is only in the end of the "Wife of Bath's Tale" that Chaucer uses the knight and the old woman as an example of how men should view women, and how there is more to women than beauty and money.
The "Knight's Tale" puts a beautiful woman on pedestal, likening her to a goddess. Two prisoners fall in love with this woman, Emily, without knowing anything about her desires, her ambitions, or her personality. The two men want her for her beauty, treating her like a sports car, or a "trophy wife." It goes so far as there is a contest, and the winner receives Emily as the prize. "Ready by battle to decide his claim/ To Emily." (52) The "Knights Tale" exemplifies chivalry, yet despite this women are still objectified and viewed as possessions, not human beings.
The woman in the "Miller's Tale" is a young wife of an old carpenter. He knows he is not what a young wife desires, but that did not stop him from marrying her. A student wants to sleep with her, he i
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