Marriage and Desire - Essay Example

Marriage and Desire Beowulf is an epic hero who is strong and courageous. He slays dragons since his youth as prince of Geats to his old age as king. Though he aims to save his people from the evil monsters, his greatest desire is to acquire fame and his people’s praise. We view this when he says that he risked his life often when he was young, but at that moment he was old. However, as king, he would pursue fights for the glory of winning. He takes a stand and vows that even if it takes his life, he would fight and not back down from the battle.

Beowulf already has a favorable reputation after killing group of giant, driving enemies from their land and slaying the first dragon. However, he is eager for more triumphs that will add to his honorable name.On the other hand, the Winter’s tale has its basis on the theme of romance with a satirical twist. King Leontes of Sicilia convinces King Polixenes of Bohemia to extend his visit at their residence. However, the former cannot stand to watch the wife and the latter chat. His conclusion is that the two are lovers.

He becomes extremely jealous to the extent of thinking that his wife Hermione’s pregnancy belongs to King Polixenes. He accuses Hermione of infidelity and carrying an illegitimate child. His jealousy leads to a failed poisoning attempt on King Polixeness, sends his wife to prison and abandons his child. The Wife of Bath speaks honestly from her marriage experience, and her tale comes as a model example of her theories. From the tale, we can deduce that she has been in marriage to three wealthy and older husbands while young.

We also find that her fourth husband who was about her age resisted her efforts to dominate him. In addition, she has a bitter struggle with her fifth husband who she controls in the end. She likens herself to the Samaritan wife; from her tale, we view that the Wife of Bath has been widowed five times but is still willing to find another husband. She states “How manye mighte she have in marriage.God bad us for to wexe and multiplye.” Here, she justifies her remarriage to several men by insinuating that God did not limit a woman’s number of husbands so long as they fulfill God’s purpose to increase and multiply.

She has inherited her previous husbands’ wealth and now tends to be selective in deciding on a mate. Her tale exactly mirrors her own life well. We can conclude that her decision to go for pilgrimages is more than a search for adventure, but a quest for love with the hope that it ends up in marriage. REFERENCES.The Wyf of Bathe: The Prologe of the Wyves Tale of Bathe. The Cantebury Tales. (281- 359)