Canterbury Tales Essay - Quest for Power in The Wife of Bath

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The Quest for Power in The Wife of Bath

The Wife of Bath is a very envious women, who desires only a few simple things in life. She likes to make mirror images of herself, through her stories, which in some way reflects the person who she really is. This is all proven through the many ways she portrays her characters.

The Wife of Bath desires the obvious in life, but what she most desires above all is being more powerful than her man, her spouse, and her lover. In a relationship, she wishes to be the dominant of the two. The one who has the last say. The one who is in control and decides all of the matters in the relationship. This is shown in her tale when the knight fulfills his task to her."'...a women wants the self-same sovereignty over her husband and her lover. And master him: he must not be above her. This is your greatest wish...' In the court not one that shook her head or contradicted what the knight had said..." (lines 164-170) The knight had spoken and fulfilled his quest, he found what women what the best. No women in the assembly disagreed with the knight's reply and certainly not the old hag. So it must be true power is what women what the most.

There is another example of the desire of power for the women it the relationship. The old hag, after marrying the knight, gives him a choice. For her to either stay ugly and be faithful or to become beautiful and wonder. " 'My lady, my love, my dearest wife, I leave the matter to your wise decision. You make the choice yourself, for the provision. I don't care which; whatever pleases you suffices me.'" "'Have I won the mastery?' she said 'Since I am to choose and rule as I think fit?'" "'Certainly, wife, that's it.'" (lines 310-318) Consequently, the hag became beautiful, but yet still faithful. This example shows how happy the women became when she was given the power. So happy that she rewarded her husband by becoming beautiful. " 'And may Christ Jesus send us husbands (that are) meek and young and fresh in bed. And grace to overbid them when we wed.and-Jesu hear my prayer!- cut short the lives of the those who won't be governed by their wives.

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