The old miller in the tales of the Chaucer 's tale is not the only one with a very critical perspective of marriage. In fact in the Tale of the Wife of Bath has a complete different outlook compare to the miller. In the prologue of the Tale of the Wife of Bath, she gives an autobiography of how she stumped those foolish men as a self -justification for her behavior. She states in the beginning of the tale:
"Experience, though no authority Were in this world, would be enough for me To speak of woe that married life affords; For since I was twelve years of age, my lords, Thanks be to God eternally alive, 5 Of husbands at the church door I 've had five (If I have wed that often legally), And all were worthy men in their degree." (Abrams lines 1-5).
She goes further on to say that out of her five husbands, only three of them were good. Those particular three were good because she was able to manipulate them easily with her …show more content…
In fact, "in the Middle Ages it was not a crime to hit a woman, rape a woman, and sometimes depending on the circumstances, it was condoned to kill a woman; especially if she had been unfaithful." (Bliss, 2013). It is interesting to note that despite being subject to abuse to a man in some discursion, she still believes that it is the women who should be in control of the man instead. Evidence of this is shown in her tale of The Wife of Bath.
The story takes place during the times of King Arthur reign. A knight has spotted a fair maiden and mistaken her for a common peasant, he decides to rape her. However instead of being a peasant she was from upper class and his life was put in line to the Queen for taking away her maidenhood. She ends the tale by having the knight marry an older witch and has him give up his power to his new wife. The fact that she has a higher man in power be so vulnerable to a woman showcases her desire that men should be worshiping the woman instead the other way
"Experience, though no authority Were in this world, would be enough for me To speak of woe that married life affords; For since I was twelve years of age, my lords, Thanks be to God eternally alive, 5 Of husbands at the church door I 've had five (If I have wed that often legally), And all were worthy men in their degree." (Abrams lines 1-5).
She goes further on to say that out of her five husbands, only three of them were good. Those particular three were good because she was able to manipulate them easily with her …show more content…
In fact, "in the Middle Ages it was not a crime to hit a woman, rape a woman, and sometimes depending on the circumstances, it was condoned to kill a woman; especially if she had been unfaithful." (Bliss, 2013). It is interesting to note that despite being subject to abuse to a man in some discursion, she still believes that it is the women who should be in control of the man instead. Evidence of this is shown in her tale of The Wife of Bath.
The story takes place during the times of King Arthur reign. A knight has spotted a fair maiden and mistaken her for a common peasant, he decides to rape her. However instead of being a peasant she was from upper class and his life was put in line to the Queen for taking away her maidenhood. She ends the tale by having the knight marry an older witch and has him give up his power to his new wife. The fact that she has a higher man in power be so vulnerable to a woman showcases her desire that men should be worshiping the woman instead the other way