The Wife of Bath, The Wife of Bath Prologue, and The General Prologue

The Wife of Bath, The Wife of Bath Prologue, and The General Prologue

These selections from The Canterbury Tales best exemplify the ideals

and traits of women (as portrayed by Chaucer). In, The Wife of Bath

Prologue, the narrator brags of her sexual exploits as well as her

prowess of controlling men. The narrator is quite forthright in her

enjoyment of this manipulation; she comments on her technique of lying

and predomination of men. The General Prologue further serves to

display the daunting traits of women. The narrator makes several stabs

at a woman's appearance; and the overall effect is one of distaste and

inadequacy. The tale itself, The Wife of Bath, embodies the

characteristics of the two previous selections; by fermenting a

character that is both cynical towards men and symbolizes

superficiality.

The first selection, The General Prologue, offers the reader a glimpse

into the theme and tone of the entire Tale. In this segment of the

story, the author appropriates the fabliau genre. This style of

composition relies on a bawdy, suggestive sense of comedy to

communicate its message. This is particularly effective towards the

end lines, where the author includes, "Gap-toothed was she…An

overskirt was tucked around her buttocks large, And her feet spurred

sharply under that…The remedies of love she knew, perchance, For of

that art she'd learned the old, old dance." This excerpt incorporates

sly, cutting observations to lead the reader to its theme of wanton

manipulation. Throughout the selection, the author hints towards the

"Wife of Bath's" promiscuity and unbridled appearance. He recounts the

various locales she has ...

... middle of paper ...

...chet-faced enchantress' transformation is simply skin-deep; she

is still a manipulative warlock underneath.

The themes of the three different selections closely mirror each other

to convey a similar tone. The tone is one of disdain and mistrust

towards women. The General Prologue accomplishes this by way of chide

remarks towards a woman. The Wife's Prologue displays the unfortunate

consequences of multiple marriages, and the women that go along with

them. Finally, the tale of the Wife of Bath culminates by showing a

fantastical quest that culminates with a superficial and manipulating

ending. Thus, the three readings are fairly similar in their message;

which is that women want to domineer men, and will use any method to

do so. The stories use different methods to convey this, but still end

up at the same conclusion.