Comparing Tale And The Wife Of Bath's Tale

The major relationship between The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and the actual tale is that in both stories the women have dominance over their husbands, and whether coincidentally or not, the fifth husband and the knight have similar personalities. The fifth husband was abusive and had sexist and violent tendencies, much like the knight. Both characters had no respect for women in the beginning of their tales. But both men also realized that the only way they could be truly satisfied with their marriages was if they gave the power and the control to their wives, and when they did, both the husband and wife were content. After the fifth husband agreed to give his wife the sovereignty in the relationship, their marriage improved and they were happy. …show more content…
Chaucer writes in the Prologue, “By maistrie, al the soveraynetee, And that he seyde, ‘myn owene trewe wyf. Do as thee lust the terme of al thy lyf. Keep thyn honour, and keep eek myn estaat’—After that day we hadden never debaat. God help me so, I was to him as kinde. As any wyf from Denmark unto Inde. And also trewe, and so was he to me” (Chaucer & SparkNotes 818-825). This translates to the fifth husband telling his wife that he would leave it to her to decide what was best for the two of them, and when he did, when she finally got the freedom and control she wanted, she never had a reason to argue with him and so she became a better wife, and he an excellent husband. Likewise, toward the end of the tale, Chaucer writes after the knight states that the hag can make the decision for him, “Thanne have I gete of yow maistrye,’ quod she, ‘Sin I may chese, and governe as me lest?’ ‘Ye, certes, wyf,’ quod he, ‘I holde it best.’... And thus they live, unto hir lyves ende, In parfit Ioye” (Chaucer 380-382 & 401-402). This translated to the hag asking the knight to make sure that her making the decision would be best, and he agreed that it would, and once he willingly gave her that power, Chaucer states that