Analysis Of The Wife Of Bath's Tale

An eerie and enchanting world full of mystical creatures can be characterized by two words: fairy tale. We have all heard of the talking animals and evil witches that seem to appear in most of them. They have been around for quite a long time and one fairy tale can be traced as far back as the 9th century. Along with the entertainment they provide, fairy tales also serve to teach a lesson. Many of those lessons we have heard throughout our whole lives. There is one tale that could be considered one of the earliest examples of a fairy tale. It is an excerpt from the famous Geoffrey Chaucer 's Canterbury Tales, and it is most commonly known as "The Wife of Bath 's Tale." "The Wife of Bath 's Tale" embodies the characteristics found in many fairy tales including that of teaching a lesson. …show more content…
She begins her tale by setting the scene in King Arthur 's time long ago. "When good King Arthur ruled in ancient days..." (Chaucer, l. 31). The Wife of Bath refers to King Arthur 's time as being ancient so it is easy to draw the conclusion that her introduction could perfectly coincide with "Once upon a time..." Her use of words and context show that she is starting her tale like most fairy tales. Fairy tales frequently contain forms of magic, and "The Wife of Bath 's Tale" does too. While describing the land, the Wife of Bath mentions elves, an Elf-Queen, and fairies. Further along in the tale, a knight sees ladies dancing in the distance, but as he approaches they vanish into thin air and before him is an old woman. Through these illustrations, the Wife of Bath hints to the reader of more potential magic yet to