In Chaucer’s satirical comedy The Canterbury Tales, and Shakespeare’s play King Lear, women are portrayed in a negative light. In both time periods, female characters are supposed to be submissive and obedient to their husbands; furthermore, as seen in the text, women are frowned upon for being knowledgeable and independent. Each author uses his work to promote their opinion on gender roles in society.
In the fourteenth century, society was based on hierarchal status and women were at the bottom of the totem pole. Men were stereotypically the dominant species that expected a respectful and submissive spouse. In Chaucer’s work, The Canterbury Tales, it is understood that women cannot be counted on to be faithful and that men should not trust …show more content…
The Wife of Bath is a powerful female that possesses control over her numerous spouses. Readers can deem the character a determined feminist that owns an enormous amount of strength over her male counterparts. In the fourteenth century, women were expected to be proper and inferior to their husband. It was unusual for a woman to speak their mind or overpower their spouse. The story implies that women desire freedom, “and somme seen, how that we loven best / For to be free, and do right as us lest, and that no man repreve us of oure vice, But seye that we be wise, and nothyng nice” (The Canterbury Tales 941-944). Chaucer was using the Wife of Bath as a symbol for all women who wanted to be free from male …show more content…
Throughout the story, readers can notice that the women are seen to be the downfall of the men. The King’s daughters Goneril and Regan are obsessed with throwing their father off the throne and gaining his power. This event represents how men saw women as a representation of the devil, “see thyself, devil! Proper deformity shows not in the fiend / So horrid as in woman” (Shakespeare 4.2, 59-61). At the end of the piece, all the female characters are deceased, and only two male characters are left, depicting that women’s failure ultimately leads to the death of all. Shakespeare kills off the female characters to imply that women belong in their rightful place, which is reserved and
In the fourteenth century, society was based on hierarchal status and women were at the bottom of the totem pole. Men were stereotypically the dominant species that expected a respectful and submissive spouse. In Chaucer’s work, The Canterbury Tales, it is understood that women cannot be counted on to be faithful and that men should not trust …show more content…
The Wife of Bath is a powerful female that possesses control over her numerous spouses. Readers can deem the character a determined feminist that owns an enormous amount of strength over her male counterparts. In the fourteenth century, women were expected to be proper and inferior to their husband. It was unusual for a woman to speak their mind or overpower their spouse. The story implies that women desire freedom, “and somme seen, how that we loven best / For to be free, and do right as us lest, and that no man repreve us of oure vice, But seye that we be wise, and nothyng nice” (The Canterbury Tales 941-944). Chaucer was using the Wife of Bath as a symbol for all women who wanted to be free from male …show more content…
Throughout the story, readers can notice that the women are seen to be the downfall of the men. The King’s daughters Goneril and Regan are obsessed with throwing their father off the throne and gaining his power. This event represents how men saw women as a representation of the devil, “see thyself, devil! Proper deformity shows not in the fiend / So horrid as in woman” (Shakespeare 4.2, 59-61). At the end of the piece, all the female characters are deceased, and only two male characters are left, depicting that women’s failure ultimately leads to the death of all. Shakespeare kills off the female characters to imply that women belong in their rightful place, which is reserved and