Similarities Between The Millers Tale And The Wife Of Bath

How are women perceived in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales? The Miller’s Tale and The Wife of Bath’s Tale both portray women as having a great deal of sexual desire, which was considered taboo for its time. Alisoun, a character in The Miller’s Tale, and The Wife of Bath are portrayed as being promiscuous, however both of these women find empowerment in demonstrating their sexual agency, which was certainly a taboo perspective for the time in which The Canterbury Tales were written. While the male characters may view these women through a purely sexual lens, Alisoun and The Wife of Bath made the decision to be viewed in this way, and even seem to enjoy being viewed in this way. Moreover, the character of the hag (who later transforms†¦show more content†¦The Miller gives a detailed description of what Alisoun usually wears, with an emphasis on the color and design of her undergarments. Her outerwear is described as well, but it is important to note the sexual implications of her undergarments being considered as a focal point in her appearance. She is later described as having a â€Å"likerous† (3244), or flirtatious eye. These descriptions certainly do give Alisoun status as a sexual object, however they are not the only qualities that define who Alisoun is as a character. Alisoun’s character can actually be ascertained from The Miller’s descriptions of her husband, John: â€Å"he knew nat Catoun, for his wit was rude,/That bad man sholde wedde his simylitude./Men sholde weddent after hire estaat,/For youthe and elde is often at debaat† (3228-3230). John is described as being uneducated and having little intelligence. The Miller says that John should have married someone similar to him, and then notes how couples that differ greatly in age, like Alisoun and John, often have disputes. While the Miller’s comment about how John should have â€Å"wedde is simylitude† may seem l ike it is just a commentary on Alisoun and John’s difference in age, it also speaks to the differences in intelligence that the two have. In fact, Alisoun chooses to have sex with Nicholas because she is attracted to his intelligence, in addition to his physical appearance: â€Å"As clerkes been ful subtileShow MoreRelated Comparing The Millers Tale and The Reves Tale Essays1188 Words   |  5 PagesSimilarities in The Millers Tale and The Reves Tale       The Millers Tale and The Reves Tale from The Canterbury Tales are very closely related. They both deal with the relationship between a jealous man, his wife, and a young scholar(s), and they both are immoral stories that contain sex and violence. This proves that the Miller and the Reeve are two very corrupt individuals. However, these tales also share some differences. For instance, the main character inRead MoreThe Ideas Of Reality And Ideal Life Of Women And Marriage1542 Words   |  7 Pagesthe contradictory ideas of reality and ideal life of women and marriage. Chaucer explicitly refutes the misogynistic ideals when the Wife of Bath argues her point using scripture, behaviors of women from his other tales in similarity to the Wife of Bath and detailed events throughout the prologue of the Wife’s roles in her marriages. To begin with, the Wife of Bath argues and opposes the traditional rules of women by quoting scripture. First she quotes two men in the bible, Abraham and Jacob whoRead MoreChaucer, Shakespeare, and Eunuchs4253 Words   |  18 Pagesliterature that has lasted for centuries by no coincidental matter. Many similarities link the two men together, but I believe that the most prominent characteristic that the men share is their innovativeness. More specifically their innovative construction of gender confused characters. Dinshaw’s examination of the eunuch Pardoner in her essay â€Å"Eunuch Hermeneutics† distinguishes The Pardoner to be a partial character because of his in-between state. Chaucer and Shakespeare’s construction of partial charactersRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pageslived, how they ear ned their livings, and their unprecedented ability to move about the globe. Moya and McKeown set the patterns of migration in the twentieth century against those extending back millennia, and they compare in imaginative ways the similarities and differences among diverse flows in different geographical areas and across ethnic communities and social strata. They consider not only the nature, volume, and direction of migrant movements motivated primarily by opportunities for economic