The Wife of Bath, The Wife of Bath Prologue, and The...

The Wife of Bath, The Wife of Bath Prologue, and The General Prologue These selections from The Canterbury Tales best exemplify the ideals and traits of women (as portrayed by Chaucer). In, The Wife of Bath Prologue, the narrator brags of her sexual exploits as well as her prowess of controlling men. The narrator is quite forthright in her enjoyment of this manipulation; she comments on her technique of lying and predomination of men. The General Prologue further serves to display the daunting traits of women. The narrator makes several stabs at a womans appearance; and the overall effect is one of distaste and inadequacy. The tale itself, The Wife of Bath, embodies the characteristics of the†¦show more content†¦The author also includes an amusing vignette of her appearance; Her head-dresses were of finest weave and ground; I dare swear that they weighed a poundà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Her stockings were of the finest scarlet redà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦her faceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and red of hue. This humorous tone exemplifies the promiscuous nature of the woman. The attachment of the color red especially highlights this; as it conveys a seductive and tantalizing demeanor. The overall effect of these items allows the reader to form an image of the woman; that she is a person of low morals and status. Her life is comprised of appealing and manipulating the hearts of men. The additional prologue, The Wife of Bath Prologue, is both lengthy and abound with persuasion. This particular division of the Tale offers a glimpse into the mind of the Wife. In it, she portrays herself as a proud woman, which has used her innumerable supply of husbands as vessels of mere social and financial support. The performance that she displays showcases her uncaring nature as well as her experience. The selection utilizes exemplum to properly impart this experience. This form is a short story which is embedded intoShow MoreRelated Character Analysis of The Wife of Bath of Chaucers Canterbury Tales1623 Words   |  7 Pages Character Analysis of The Wife of Bath of Chaucers Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales is Geoffrey Chaucers greatest and most memorable work. In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer uses a fictitious pilgrimage [to Canterbury] as a framing device for a number of stories (Norton 79). In The General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer describes in detail the pilgrims he meets in the inn on their way to Canterbury. Chaucer is the author, but also a character and the narrator, and acts likeRead More Chaucers Canterbury Tales Essay - Women in The Wife of Bath1433 Words   |  6 PagesWomen in Chaucers The Wife of Bath Chaucers The Wife of Baths Prologue and Tale is a medieval legend that paints a portrait of strong women finding love and themselves in the direst of situations. 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The Prolog is double the size of her Tale, a lot of information about marriage group is givenRead MoreThe Characters in The Canterbury Tales Essay4000 Words   |  16 PagesThe Purpose of the   Characters in The Canterbury Tales      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The characters introduced in the General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales each represent a stereotype of a kind of person that Chaucer would have been familiar with in 14th Century England. Each character is unique, yet embodies many physical and behavioral traits that would have been common for someone in their profession. In preparing the reader for the tales, Chaucer first sets the mood by providing an overall idea of the type