Chaucer’s Presentation of Marriage and Love in The Wife of Bath’s and The Franklin’s Tales
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published 23/05/2008
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Summary
In both the Wife of Bath’s Tale and the Franklin’s Tale, the Breton lai romances of the Tales, as well as in the Wife of Bath’s Prologue, Chaucer explores the roles and rules of love and marriage for the medievals. Through the Wife of Bath’s Prologue, he presents the vast body of anti-feminist ‘authority’ of the time, which consisted of abundant Biblical reference as well as Greek and Roman tales and legends that ‘proved’ how difficult marriage was because of the inherent faults of womankind. The Wife portrays marriage as a womanly role just as valuable as holy virginity, separated only by their “differing dignity,” but reverses the typical hierarchical marital structure in which the man rules the home. Her insistence upon having ‘maistrie’ over her many husbands becomes one of the most prominent themes in these tales, as she explores it more within her own tale, and the Franklin returns to it in his. Within the rules of courtly love, women were often granted power temporarily for the purpose of enriching the game of love played by the knights and ladies of romances and assuring these ladies of their suitors’ immeasurable love.
Table of Contents
- When we meet the Wife of Bath, the detail most characteristic of her personality is how seriously she considers marriage a profession.
- There is one instance in which the Wife finds love.
- The status quo of the Wife in control over the estate and her husband.
- In the Franklin's Tale, love and marriage manage to exist a bit more harmoniously.
- Aurelius goes to great lengths to create an illusion that will hide the rocks from view long enough to claim his rightful prize .
- The Wife of Bath never truly submits to male authority.
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