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What Is The Portrayal Of Women In The Wife Of Bath's Tale

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Women in the middle ages were seen as the inferior gender. In the Canterbury Tales, the portrayal of women during that time is shown. The great chain of being was the idea that the position of one in society was based on the closeness to God. In the Wife of Bath, the wife wants women to be superior to men, moving their positon closer to God. Palomon and Arcite from The Knights Tale, demonstrate the idea of courtly love toward Emelye. Courtly love was a romantic relationship between a knight and a lady from the court. The Prologue, gives background information about all the characters who tell a tale. One of the women is the wife of bath, who is the only one who exceeded her sphere. Through different ideas, these three tales portray women differently. Men believed that women allowed their passion to overrule their reason and by doing that they were lowering their place in the chain, furthering themselves from God. Because of that, …show more content…

In the Wife of Baths tale, the wife herself states that she does not agree with women being beneath men. She wanted women to be above men, and in control. She says that the thing women desire the most is having power over their husbands and lovers. Not only will they have power, but they will also be higher in the chain of being getting closer to God. In the idea of courtly love, the women are the ones in control. The knights are the ones who have to impress their lady, while the lady had to show a kind gesture of gratitude. In the Knights Tale, Palomon and Arcite would do anything to see Emelye. She is the prize they both long for. They let her come between their bond as knights, when their bond should be stronger that

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