William Chaucer s The Wife Of Bath - 1347 Words

Women Progressing Over the years, some may argue that literature has progressed into a better manner or for the worst. In British literature, motifs vary throughout the multiple time periods, such as the Anglo-Saxon Era, Medieval Era, to the Age of Reason period; moreover, motifs have changed out of the regular and accustomed angelic Christian that has to repent and believe in God. British literature begins to introduce a new archetype for women that writers follow in stories by describing them with motherly characteristics and taboo ideas in texts, such as the epic poem, Beowulf, Geoffrey Chaucer’s â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Prologue† and â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Tale† in The Canterbury Tales, and the play named The Beggar’s Opera, which brings forth the idea of what is morally acceptable characteristics for women in literature and why writers portray women as antagonist or protagonist with misunderstood and compelling roles. The idea that follows as a pattern within these four texts is how people categorize and standardize the way women should behave. It is best to keep an open mind and to try and travel throughout the time periods that these four works are in. First, in the epic poem, Beowulf, Grendel’s mother is depicted as a monster and evil because, â€Å"this force for evil driven / to avenge her kinsman s death† (lines 1339-1340). Grendel’s mother’s actions to avenge her son is characterized as evil and is what gives her the role of an antagonist and monster; however, it is onlyShow MoreRelatedWilliam Chaucer s Wife Of Bath s Tale1523 Words   |  7 Pagesshared code that dictates how one should act in any possible situation that may arise. While embarking on their epic journeys, knights are often put through trials that test the strength they have to uphold the Knightly Code. In Geoffrey Chaucer’s Wife of Bath’s Tale, the nameless knight disregards his du ty to the Knightly Code in several instances throughout the tale. The knight in question is brought into Arthur’s court labeled with charges of rape. Posed a question by the queen the knight wasRead MoreGender Stereotypes : Macbeth And The Wife Of Bath1515 Words   |  7 Pagesfemale, some authors such as William Shakespeare and Geoffrey Chaucer challenged this by describing the female characters as strong and ambitious characters. Not only challenging the sexual stereotypes that existed in both time periods, Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare also enabled the female characters both in Macbeth and The Wife of Bath exploit their sexuality to obtain the balance of power. Female characters in Macbeth and The Wife of Bath challenged the traits of stereotypicalRead MoreThe Fight For Gender Equality Essay1357 Words   |  6 Pageswomen within Chaucer and Shakespeare s literary work while keeping the historical, Middle Ages and Renaissance, time periods in mind. More Specifically, â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Prologue,† by Chaucer and â€Å"As You Like It,† by William Shakespeare will be examined. In doing so, the essay will uncover, not only the role of women within the poems, but the feminist aspects Chaucer and Shakespeare contain within both of their poems, and the progressive views certain characters had within â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s PrologueRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Othello And The Canterbury Tales Essay1369 Words   |  6 PagesIn William Shakespeare’s novel, â€Å"Othello† and in Geoffrey Chaucer’s novel, The Canterbury Tales, include women throughout both novels. The novel, Oth ello is written in 1603 and The Canterbury Tales is written in the 1400’s, during the late Middle Ages. Women during the Late Middle Ages and the early Modern Period were portrayed differently then how women are portrayed today. Typically, during this time period of 1400-1600’s, women roles during this time was weak. Women were only allowed to listenRead MoreEssay about Chaucers Wife of Bath2474 Words   |  10 PagesChaucers Wife of Bath Before beginning any discussion on Chaucer’s Wife of Bath, one must first recognize that, as critic Elaine Treharne writes, â€Å"Critical response to the Wife of Bath has been as diverse as it has been emotive† (2). Some critics love the Wife of Bath and her controversial prologue, proclaiming that she is a woman of strength and powerful words; others hate her and cover the eyes of younger girls, determined that Wife of Bath is instead a role model of what women should notRead MoreGeoffrey Chaucer s Impact On Literature1231 Words   |  5 PagesGeoffrey Chaucer’s Impact on Literature: English poet Geoffrey Chaucer is acclaimed to be one of the best and most influential poets in history. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote several famous literary works in what is called middle English. Geoffrey Chaucer was born in 1340 in London, England. Over the course of Chaucer’s life, he entered and exited several different social classes. He began to write his most known pieces when he became a public servant to Countess Elizabeth of Ulster in 1357. He diedRead More Contradictions in Chaucers The Canterbury Tales Essay3897 Words   |  16 PagesMadame Eglentine, Chaucer?s Prioress, demonstrates an excellent example of the clash between divergent values. In many ways, her description in the General Prologue personifies the model medieval woman: religious, elegant, innocent, loving and sentimental. Yet clearly there is a vast contrast between her description and the vicious, anti-Semitic account of the young boy mutilated in the Ghetto. It is this contrast which points out the ?binaries? or opposites which make up the Prioress?s character. HerRead More The Controversial Margery Kempe Essay4134 Words   |  17 Pagesgrace. Others had a religious perspective, immersing themselves in Gods work on earth. One such woman was Margery Kempe, a fifteenth-century visionary who was widely criticized as being a heretic and worshipper of Satan. Kempe set aside her roles as wife and mother to pursue what she felt was her true calling: preaching Gods Word. Labeled a religious mystic by some, Margery was a highly controversial figure in late medieval England. Not only was her public behavior deemed ridiculous and motivatedRead MoreA Picatrix Miscellany52019 Words   |  209 PagesTrithemius in Book 2 of his notorious Steganographia (1500) and in his Antipalus Maleficiorum (c. 1500). One copy (British Library, Sloane manuscript 3679) passed down from Simon Forman (d. 1611) to Richard Napier (d. 1634) to Elias Ashmole (d. 1692) to William Lilly (d. 1681). E.M. Butler wr ongly associates it with Gio. Peccatrix, (no doubt a pseudonym) who edited an Italian version of the Key of Solomon (British Library, Sloane manuscript 1307). Misled by some comments by Mathers and others, Dr. Butler