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Comparing Women In Sir Gawain And Chaucer's Canterbury Tales

1297 Words6 Pages

Sir Gawain and The Green Knight and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales are two pieces of British literature that are incredibly interesting and thorough. Women play important roles in both of the texts. Throughout Sir Gawain and The Green Knight there are several important females present. The women being Guinevere for a short period of time, Lady Bertilak, and Morgan Le Fay. Guinevere is presented at the beginning of the text before The Green Knight barges into the castle, and is presented as the standard of beauty. Sir Gawain encounters lady Bertilak as he nears the green chapel. Lady Bertilak takes advantage of her beauty while Gawain stays in her and her husband’s, lord Bertilak, castle. While staying in the castle, Sir Gawain is presented a …show more content…

Sir Gawain keeps his promise each day kissing lord Bertilak for a total of six times. Lady Bertilak also grants Sir Gawain, due to her fondness of him, a green sash that will protect Sir Gawain From harm and later saves his life. Morgan le Fay is the elderly, ugly, servant in the Bertilak castle. Morgan le Fay is a sorceress that is truly the puppet master in this tale. As for Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, the miller’s tale and the wife of bath’s tale have interesting roles for women. The miller, in a drunken stupor, tells a tale of a love affair between a married woman and a younger man. The married woman, Alison, marries an older fellow and is then presented with the opportunity to cheat on him with a young scholar. Alison agrees and plays an awful trick on her husband so she and her new lover may be alone. The wife of bath is an incredible character in and of herself. The wife of bath starts with a long prologue, telling of her copious husbands and fondness of sex. Considering the standards for women in this time period, obedient, housewives, she has broken the

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