After reading the General Prologue do any of you have a specific character you like.
So far I believe my favorite is the Wife of Bath. She is the most interesting. Chaucer really goes into detail when he is describing her; from her looks, to her well being. Is this the type of women he liked? Is this wife of Bath religious? you have this lady who is deaf and you feel sorry for her but then she has been through 5 husbands. Her looks give a sexy about her.. "Hie hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed, ful streite y-teyd, and shoos ful moiste and new. Bold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe."But then it states "She was a worthy wommman al hir lyve." "She coude muchel of wandringe by the weye. Gat-tothed was she, soothly for to seye." She sounds like she knew her way in life and how to survive, but then the gapped teeth make her seem very ugly. I was researching more info http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/projf983a/charac.htm on this page it says that during this time the gapping teeth symbolizes sensuality and lust.
So what is the meaning of the Wife of Bath on this pilgramage to Canterbury. Im anxious to read her tale then see if I still like her character
I know that the Wife of Bath is deaf because she got slapped by one of her hubsands, the last one I think, because she was being very rude to him and was pretty much taunting him. She liked to push her men to the level. I think because it showed that she had power over them.
ReplyDeleteI am so confused on my feelings on the Wife of Bath, I know that her actions are unjustifiable, but in whose terms: societys and social norms? At times when I was younger I wondered the same thing: why can men do something but women can't (not in terms of sex) I believe that she may be selfish and a sex addict along with using the bible to fit to her own situation, but also she could be struggling with the fear of being alone and the fact that she actually fell in love with someone at the age of 40 and now he is like the younger her and treats her bad and beats her. Part of me feels: what comes around goes around and that she deserves it for her mistreatment of the other four husbands, but part of me feels sorry for her and the fact that maybe when she is willing to give love and happiness a chance the tables are turned.
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