Gender roles, sexuality and court, oh my!
A bawdy, sexually insatiable wife and oath-breaking knight are two of many characters that have been defying gender roles and sexuality norms since the 14th century. Both the poet of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (SGGK) and Geoffrey Chaucer similarly manipulate these themes for the purpose of demonstrating not everyone fit into the societal mold of how men and women were expected to be.
In Chaucer’s work, The Canterbury Tales, the primary focus will be on “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale.” Ideally, women were meant to be paragons of purity—faithful, pious, quiet and obedient. Women were meant to be chaste, pious, quiet and obedient in the 14th century. Virginity was regarded favorably and expressions of palpable sexual desire were discouraged. The character Chaucer introduces is quite different. The Wife of Bath is not a traditional 14th century woman. Chaucer develops an outspoken character who embodies a progressive woman interested in liberty and equality, sexual satisfaction and religious freedom. …show more content…
She informs the others on the pilgrimage, “For, lordynges, sith I twelve yeer was of age, / Thonked be God that is eterne on lyve, / Housbondes at chirche dore I have had fyve,” (4-6) this was uncommon, particularly for a non-noble. The Wife of Bath justifies her marriages because she has interpreted the Bible in her own way. She references Solomon and his practice of polygamy and wonders, “But of no nombre mencioun made he, / Of bigamye, or of octogamye; / Why sholde men thanne speke of it vileynye?” (32-34). The Wife makes an interesting point, why should men be allowed sexual and marital freedom but frown upon women doing the same, if the Bible should allow it? The Wife is resentful about being treated differently than her male
A bawdy, sexually insatiable wife and oath-breaking knight are two of many characters that have been defying gender roles and sexuality norms since the 14th century. Both the poet of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (SGGK) and Geoffrey Chaucer similarly manipulate these themes for the purpose of demonstrating not everyone fit into the societal mold of how men and women were expected to be.
In Chaucer’s work, The Canterbury Tales, the primary focus will be on “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale.” Ideally, women were meant to be paragons of purity—faithful, pious, quiet and obedient. Women were meant to be chaste, pious, quiet and obedient in the 14th century. Virginity was regarded favorably and expressions of palpable sexual desire were discouraged. The character Chaucer introduces is quite different. The Wife of Bath is not a traditional 14th century woman. Chaucer develops an outspoken character who embodies a progressive woman interested in liberty and equality, sexual satisfaction and religious freedom. …show more content…
She informs the others on the pilgrimage, “For, lordynges, sith I twelve yeer was of age, / Thonked be God that is eterne on lyve, / Housbondes at chirche dore I have had fyve,” (4-6) this was uncommon, particularly for a non-noble. The Wife of Bath justifies her marriages because she has interpreted the Bible in her own way. She references Solomon and his practice of polygamy and wonders, “But of no nombre mencioun made he, / Of bigamye, or of octogamye; / Why sholde men thanne speke of it vileynye?” (32-34). The Wife makes an interesting point, why should men be allowed sexual and marital freedom but frown upon women doing the same, if the Bible should allow it? The Wife is resentful about being treated differently than her male