Feminism In Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales

After the Miller tells his tale the Reeve is personally offended. The Reeve was easily angered from the story and said he would break the Millers neck which establishes his choleric personality. However, the Reeve does not actually commit these actions, he simply tells a tale personally attacking the Miller.In The Reeve’s Tale Chaucer displays women as property; however, he is a product of his environment. In the Middle Ages, women were considered their husband’s or father’s property. In the lens of feminist theory, it shows that Chaucer saw women as inferior and weak. Another aspect, in which Chaucer viewed women, was something to be controlled by the acts of men. Through these actions that are displayed in the Reeve’s Tale allows a feminist …show more content…
These two female characters are seen as Sympkin’s property; his wife doesn’t even have her own name. Since she doesn’t have her own name it already shows the inferiority of her as a character. If she did have her own name, it would declare her a bit more independent from her husband; however, the events that occur in the story undermine these two women and display them as objects. The events that occur begin with Sympkin, the miller who continuously steals corn meal from these two college boys, Aleyn and John. Sympkin allows the boys’ horse to run away to steal their corn meal. From this action, it allows the boys to stay the night at Sympkin’s home, in which they make a certain decision. The decision they declare is that they need to take property from Sympkin because he had taken their property, the corn meal. Their idea of property is Melanie, his daughter. Aleyn decides to get into bed with Melanie to copulate. While this action was occurring John felt left out and thought he would be made fun of for not sleeping with anyone. When Sympkin’s wife leaves the house to use the lavatory John moves the cradle to his edge of the bed. The events that occur next are that Sympkin’s Wife gets into bed with John and copulate as well. From these events it shows how women are treated, as someone’s property in which they can be sexually assaulted. These female character’s did not show any action of consent and these young men simply think it is okay to go into these women’s bed. These actions display disrespect for these women and these two boys believe they have the power to conduct these