A brief synopsis of one of Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales". Please allow for the slides to advance as you read along. Enjoy this simple, but effective, presentation for your secondary English Language Arts class!
1. The Wife of Bath’s TaleA Brief Lesson in One of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales
By Angela Tinnerello
Northwestern State University
ETEC 5610/Spring 2017
2. The Wife of Bath begins her tale with a story
of fairies dancing in the forest. She follows
this statement with a criticism of the clergy,
who, she claims are nothing more than
rapists who hide behind the guise of their
robes.
3. The goodly wife continues her tale
with a story of a not-so-noble knight
of King Arthur’s Round Table who
raped a young maiden in the woods.
4. His punishment, according to King Arthur, was death; however, Queen Guinevere and her ladies came to his
defense. King Arthur, out of respect for his queen, defered judgement to her. She sent the knight off on a quest
for a year and a day to find the thing that women want most. If he failed, his original sentence would be
carried out.
5. The knight set off on his quest believing
that God would give him his answer and
allow for his life to be spared. But he did
not find what he needed. He knocked on
every door that he came to and, still, no
answer.
That is, until…
6. He came upon a group of twenty four ladies dancing at the edge of the woods. He approached them, hoping to
learn the truth that would save his life. To his dismay, they all disappeared before he got to them.
7. An old woman was all who stood where the fair
maidens had been. The knight, desperate for his
answer, made a bargain with the old woman. The
old woman gave him his answer but, in return, she
demanded that he marry her.
8. Elated, the knight returned at once to give the queen her answer. He said, in a loud and clear voice, that
women want sovereignty in their marriage. Upon being granted his life, the knight begged the old woman to
take anything but to spare him the marriage.
10. As the knight took his bride to bed, she became aware of his dissatisfaction with the
situation. Being a good wife, she asked him why he was so unhappy. He told her that
it’s because she is old, ugly, poor and of low birth. His criticisms set off a series of
chastisements from the old woman. She told her husband that her station in life
should be no indication of who she truly is. She explained that a person’s heart is the
same and that social status does not matter. As for poverty, she said that there is no
better way to live a virtuous live than one of poverty. The poor have nothing and find
happiness in the simplest of things; they have no fear of theft and know that their
friends are true. She followed this by addressing his comments about her appearance
and assured him that old, ugly wives are faithful but young, beautiful wives cannot be
trusted.
11. The hag gave her husband a choice: to have her old, ugly and loyal or
young, pretty and desired my many. His reply? Well…
12. The knight gave her the choice to be whatever she chose. When he did this, he gave her what she wanted:
sovereignty in her marriage.
