Canterbury Tales - Book Report/Review Example

of the of the Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales is a compilation of 120 tales (only two are in text) written down by Geoffrey Chaucer in 1386. There is a group of pilgrims going to visit the temple of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. To pass the time during the long walk, each pilgrim told a story. Every story features many characters, an assortment of plots with fascinating exaggerated interactions. Two of the stories in Canterbury Tales are "The Knight's Tale" and "The Wife of Bath's Tale", which engross different sort of passion and relationships based on graciousness, vigor, respect.

"The Knight's Tale" is a story of two warriors Palomon and Arcite, who were imprisoned by a prince Theseus and both fell in love with the same women Emelye, prince's sister in law. Their passion was so powerful that it was valued more than their lives. Both fight that who should get the lady, but subsequently understand that it would be a desperate longing as they are behind bars and won't be able to find a way out. After some time one of them is liberated and the other was still trapped. Soon he escaped the prison and finds his mate.

Both still quarrel but then again caught and were sentenced to death. But Emelye request to free them but the prince decides on a competition between them and who wins will get Emelye. Both warriors gathered their military and fight. Eventually Palomon succeed and wedded Emelye."The Wife of Bath" is a tale told by a widow from the city of Bath, wedded 5 times and going to marry again and her tale is about a man who was punished for abusing a girl and presented before the court to the queen. The Queen ordered that she will free him if he finds the answer to the question "what women typically wish for" in limited time duration.

He searched places to find the answer and at last an old lady tells him the answer but demanded that he has to marry her. He agreed without thinking but the old lady really tells him the correct answer. The man returned to the Queen and tells her the answer that what women most want is "Influence"- a control over their spouses. Queen freed him but he has to marry the old lady. In both stories, there are many differences and very few similarities. In the Knight tale, both knights are fighting for the woman they love, and they care for her and try their best efforts to win her heart but in The Wife of Bath tale, the man takes advantage of women, he is not a nice personality, does not think about the outcomes of his actions, he's just directed by his wants and at last makes a rash promise without thinking, fulfils his promise and wedded a woman he does not love .

The personalities of the characters in both the stories are totally different. But both tales are similar as they conclude that men have to accomplish their tasks- one finds his true love while the other finds the answer to his question. Also the female characters in both the tales are different. The female that is a widow from the City of Bath appears to be a feminist. She mirrored her picture in her tale- she wants control over her spouse, lover, whatever he is. She did not feel embarrassment that she has married several times.

She even says that she married only for the reason that she desired money, control. The conclusion of her story is same that finally the man had to marry the old woman- the man was manipulated by her into giving what she desires. Where as the female character - Emelye is like a usual romantic heroine, dejected by men behavior and their principles. She wanted to remain a virgin not just for the reason that she is unmarried but she is annoyed with men. She is portrayed as a Goddess- her inaccessibility is being made into a pessimistic direction in this tale- the prison that is disturbing the knights.

REFERENCES Collette, Carolyn. "Species, Phantasms and Images: Vision and Medieval Psychology in the Canterbury Tale"s. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2001. Kolve, V.A. and Olson, Glending (2005). "The Canterbury Tales: Fifteen Tales and The General Prologue; Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism". A Norton Critical Edition (2nd ed.). New York, London. Allen, Mark and Fisher, John H. ( 1987). "The Essential Chaucer". G. K. Hall and Mansell Publishers Limited.