The role of Wife of Bath Tale in contradicting or upholding women-hating ideas - Essay Example

The role of Wife of Bath Tale in contradicting or upholding women-hating ideas Alisoun; the Bath’s Wife Tale is portrayed to be an evil creature, superficial, unfaithful and a woman who undermines men. She is the most recognized character due to being boisterous, headstrong, and opinionated “instructor’s notes”. Alisoun is strictly against taboos which undermine sexuality and any women denigration issues but she is also seen affected by such taboos .I think that the Wife of Bath’s Tale was meant to both contradict and support the misogynist during her time as discussed in essence in this paper. 1. Contradicting misogynist ideas To begin with contradicting woman-hating ideas, the way she has obtained five husbands indicates that women are able to get what they want by being dominant; one woman is able to governed five men. How she manages to have five husbands is miraculous since it is the men who are expected to have more wives. Bath’s Tale wife has had many affairs before she was married and has been married five times yet she is willing to accept the sixth man (Morrison 317) Second, from prologue description, the Wife of Bath’s Tale seems to be fierce. This implies that the story highlights her individual feelings. Alisoun is meant to bring about the act of Courtly love since the husband complies fully with the wishes and the desires of the wife by acting like an obedient handmaiden to serve the wife. She goes ahead and acts contrary to religious claims via use of the Bible. She tries as much as possible to show that the bible is not against outside sexual expressions by using Solomon as an example. It is clear that during her prayer she asked that the lives of those who will not be ruled or governed by their wives be cut short. Third, based on marriage, wife of Bath’s Tale portrays the struggle of power between wives and husbands since she wants to rule the man but not to be in equal positions with the husband. She clearly states that happiness can be achieved in a marriage when a husband is under control by a woman. Moreover, Wife of Bath’s Tale dwells in feminine issues; “what women desire most.” The tale ends by showing that devoted and kind husbands who cede dominance to women in marriage are wanted by women “instructor’s notes”. Also, she thinks that the number of times a woman should get married is not indicated by Christ. She also believes to have control over her husband’s body hence her husband should be her debtor “instructor’s notes”. The main thing that she wants is control over her husbands as shown in the story. The Wife of Bath’s Tale finds it interesting to portray a story on a woman playing a huge role in a man’s life and later controlling the man. Looking at the causes of the death of her husbands we can conclude that it is questionable meaning she had control even for her husbands’ lives. Fourth, the experiences that the Wife of Bath’s Tale has gone through are worth recognition since she has travelled globally on pilgrimages searching for plenary indulgence. This is a worldly woman in terms of her experiences in sex, love and the world at large. She clearly states that she ordered her first three husbands and use sex to achieve her needs “instructor’s notes”. Furthermore, this woman was not a dependant woman hence being in a position to get what she wanted thus contradicting women hating ideas. This independent woman could provide for herself through her experiences. This is an intelligent woman in terms of common sense but not intelligent in intellectual way as she loved quarrelling hence meant to contradict women-hating ideas. Due to such experiences she has had enough experienced in love making her use her body for commercial purposes in marriage since she loves sex. Fifth, from the whole story in which Bath’s wife is the main character, everything is about women in a positive way; I can therefore conclude that the Wife of Bath’s Tale is meant to contradict woman-hating ideas. Furthermore, from the text, it is obvious that the Wife of Bath’s Tale had an upper hand in the story since she was in full control of what was happening. This shows a contradiction of the highest order on woman-hating ideas since Alisoun is seen doing a lot in the story than what women were actually doing during that time (Morrison 510). Dominance shift is real in the tale since a rapist is brought to the king but the queen decides to save him only by giving an answer of what a woman treasures most. By the man wanting to save his life he decides to make some arrangements with the old woman thus marrying her. 2. Upholding women hating ideas Alisoun conforms to anti-marriage and woman-hating stereotypes. The act of being in love with a twenty year old student shows that such a sophisticated woman conforms to woman-hating ideas. If she considers herself to be sophisticated and have power over men, she could not have allowed being in relationship with a younger man than her (Peter 43). She justifies her actions due to experiences she has had which act as her authority. She presents her case sympathetically since she is not exposing feminism ideas. Furthermore, the old husband who liked drinking was against women and yet Alison enjoyed living with him. Looking at the fight with her fifth husband, it is clear that she respected her husband after the being beaten by the husband although they fought. Moreover from the discussion of the fifth and the fourth husband, she is sympathetic, less-controlling and realistic indicating that she upholds misogynist ideas (Gloria 32). On the fourth husband, the Wife of Bath’s Tale pretended to cheat on him so as to make him love her showing that she considered love from men to be vital. Having read this paper, it is clear that the Wife of Bath’s Tale is meant to contradict and uphold women-hating ideas. However, she is brings out more of contradictory part as compared to upholding to women-hating issues of that time. Works cited Gloria, Gyman. The Wife of Bath’s prologue and Tale and clerks prologue and Tale from Canterbury Tales. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1976, 32. Morrison, Theodore. Prologue to the Wife of Bath’s Tale Rendered into Modern English. New York: Holmes 342-512 Peter, Beidler. The Wife of Bath .Boston: Benson Riverside gloss, 1996, 43. Read More