The Wife’s tale (857-1264) is based on an old folktale in which a young man of noble lineage is duped into marrying what appears to be an old and foul-looking woman. But by passing some sort of test, he discovers that his new bride is actually young and beautiful.
Here is general outline: Tale setting: the oldentimes, before friars rid
the world of fairies and other magical beings (857-81—note
especially ll. 878-81) A young knight rapes a young woman and is
sentenced to death (882-93) But the queen and her ladies plead for mercy:
that the young man be turned over to her to deal with him as she
wishes (882-98) A test: answer the riddle, “What it is that
women most desire,” and do so in no more than a year and a day
(899-912) The knight discovers that no two women agree
about what they most want—whether wealth, pleasure, honor,
fine clothes, good sex; or to be alternately and frequently married
and remarried; or to be flattered and pleased, given attention and
affection; or allowed to be free to do as they please, and not to be
criticized for their behavior—even when it is true (i.e.,
when saying so “scratch[es] us on the sore spot,” l. 940); or
trusted with keeping secrets (913-48) The Wife now comically confesses that women are
Resuming her tale, the Wife now narrates the
knight’s encounter with an old and ugly woman who promises to give
him the answer to the riddle on the condition that he promise to
marry her; he agrees, and she whispers the answer in his ear
(983-1022) The knight passes the test, is pardoned; the
woman makes him fulfill his promise; and he offers her all his
property in order to be excused from marrying her—but she
declines, preferring to be his wife and to have his love
(1023-66) The knight balks at this, but has no choice; he
marries her (the wedding is joyless, he sulks all day); and he
cruelly neglects her on their wedding night—because, he says,
she is “loathsome, … old,” and “descended from such low born
lineage” (1067-1105) Give me three days, says the woman, and all will be
well (1106-1108) … … at which point she argues—from
authority!—why true nobility has nothing to do with riches or
other ciricumstances of birth (1109-1212) As for ugliness, she says, men have a choice:
either an ugly and faithful wife, or one who is beautiful but
pursued always by men who lust after her (1213-27) Unable to choose, the knight suddenly addresses
her with apparent affection—“My lady and my love, and wife so
dear”—and surrenders to Satisfied that the knight has learned his
lesson, the woman reveals herself to be young and beautiful, and
they enter into a life of wedded bliss (1236-58) The point of the story is offered by the Wife of
Bath as a prayer on behalf of all women: that they be blessed with
husbands who are subservient, young, and good in bed; that they
outlive those husbands; and that the ones who will not submit to
their wives’ authority, or who are stingy in spending, will live the
shortest lives of all (1258-64)
not to be trusted with keeping
secrets, and supports her claim with the story of Midas, from Ovid’s
Metamorphoses (949-82)her
judgment and authority on the matter (1228-35)
Choose one or two of the following, supporting your answer
with reference to specific lines: In what ways is the Tale related to the Wife of
Bath’s own story as told in her lengthy Prologue? Does the Tale
complement that story, reinforcing our understanding of the Wife of
Bath’s character? Or does the Tale of the knight change in any way
our view of the teller of that tale? What do you think about the ending of the Tale
(ll. 1228-58)? And how does the Wife’s closing prayer affect your
response, if at all? Choose a passage or episode from the Tale that
you find especially striking in terms of the emotional response it
elicits, and explain in some detail what makes it so
effective. Identify one or two moments of humor and explain
how such moments fit into the overall scheme of the Tale.