What is the summary of the Wife of Bath tale?

What is the summary of the Wife of Bath tale?

The tale concerns a knight accused of rape, whose life shall be spared if in one year he discovers what women most desire. He eventually turns to an ugly old witch who promises him the answer that will save his life if he will do the first thing she asks of him.

What was the queen’s punishment in the Wife of Bath’s tale?

After the knight rapes a maiden, the queen asks the king to grant her control of his punishment. The king agrees. The queen decides that the knight’s punishment is that he must answer the question of what women most desire.

What was the Knight’s punishment in the Wife of Bath’s tale?

death
Summary: In the Wife of Bath’s tale, the Knight has raped a young maiden. His punishment for doing so is death; he is to have his head cut off. However, the King agrees to hand him over to the Queen.

What insights have you gained from the Wife of Bath’s tale?

It reveals the economics of wedlock in the middle ages; the brutal pragmatism of sexual relationships; and the secular logic by which the institution of marriage and the teachings of the bible were reconciled with the relentless carnality of human existence.

How does the Wife of Bath view marriage?

The Canterbury Tales Basically and simply put, the Wife of Bath feels that the woman should hold complete sovereignty over her husband; only then can a marriage be happy. Her tale is an exemplum of this belief.

What becomes of the old woman at the end of the story?

How is the old woman changed at the end of the story? She transforms herself into a young and lovely woman.

Why does the knight agree to marry the old woman?

According to “The Wife of Bath’s Tale,” why does the knight agree to marry the old woman? He believes she will turn into a young woman when he marries her. He thinks the queen will not have him killed if he is married. She promises him that she knows the secret to what all women want.

What does the Wife of Bath think about virginity?

She does not envy virginity, but believes that virginity is perfection and is not meant for everyone. She says, “I nil envye no virginitee: Lat hem be breed of pured whete seed, And lat us wives hote barly breed–” (Chaucer 120).

What is the moral of the Wife of Bath’s tale quizlet?

The Wife of Bath suggests the existence of fairies when she frames the tale. What is the moral of “The Wife of Bath’s Tale”? It is best for husbands and wives when women rule the marriage.

Why does the Wife of Bath tell the story about Midas?

Why does the wife tell the story of Midas? She tells the story of Midas to make a point that women cannot keep a secret to themselves. The barber tells Midas’ secret in Ovid’s version, but in The Wife of Bath’s version, she whispers it to the river and the river spreads it.

Did the Wife of Bath cheat on her husbands?

Near the end of her Prologue, the Wife announces that she will speak about her fourth husband. Husband #4 had a lover in addition to the Wife. To punish him for this, the Wife convinced him that she, too, was cheating. Husband #4 was so consumed by jealousy that it was his purgatory on earth.

Why did the old woman promise him both beauty and fidelity?

20. Why did the old woman promise him both beauty and fidelity? By giving her the choice, he allowed her mastery over him, her husband.

What are the struggles of the Wife of Bath?

There are three main areas in which a struggle for power is central to the text….Clerical authority versus personal experience

• Sex and marriage.
• The validity of her five marriages.
• Chastity.