Canterbury Tales - Comparing Chaucers The Clerks Tale...

In The Clerks Tale and The Wife of Baths Tale from Geoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury Tales, characters are demanding, powerful and manipulating in order to gain obedience from others. From all of The Canterbury Tales, The Clerks Tale and The Wife of Baths Tale are the two most similar tales. These tales relate to each other in the terms of obedience and the treatment of women. The Wife of Bath Tale consists of one woman who has complete control over her husbands. It evolves the idea that a woman is more powerful and controlling in a relationship. She intimidates her husbands to do things and treat her in a certain ways so that they would buy her material things and†¦show more content†¦In addition, the Wife of Bath also shows some of the same signs of tyranny toward others. She takes reference from the Bible to defend her opinions on a husband obediently loving his wife. To justify her beliefs, the Wife of Bath says that thus the apostle Paul has told it me, and bade our husbands they should love us well. There ¹s an command on which I like to dwell (262). Both Walter and the Wife of Bath are demanding to bring them happiness and satisfaction in therms of getting obedience. In addition to demanding love, both characters demand favors, a representation of their obedience. Walter gives Griselda jewels and rings for her to wear demanding the favor of her obedience to him, the marquis bade prepare brooches and rings, all for Griselda, lit with jewels, gold and lapis. (328). The Wife of Bath also demands the favor of her personal satisfaction from others. She demands material treasures and sexual desires from her husbands. But as I had them eating from my hand and as they yielded me their gold and land, why then take trouble to provide them unless to profit my leisure (264). She is a very persuasive and controlling woman who seeks personal favors to symbolize obedience. She and Walter both share the quality of demanding favors to bring them happiness and satisfaction in the terms of obedience. Lastly, the two charactersShow MoreRelated Essay on Human Nature and The Canterbury Tales1572 Words   |  7 Pagesand The Canterbury Tales  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   When Geoffrey Chaucer undertook the writing of The Canterbury Tales, he had a long road ahead of him. He intended to tell two stories from each of thirty pilgrims on the way to Canterbury, and then two more from each pilgrim on the way back from Canterbury. Of these, he completed only twenty-four. However, in these tales, Chaucer depicts both the pilgrims and their stories with striking realism. In The Nuns Priests Tale, The Canons Yeomans Tale, The FriarsRead More Contradictions in Chaucers The Canterbury Tales Essay3897 Words   |  16 PagesContradictions in Chaucers The Canterbury Tales There is no question that contradictory values make up a major component of The Canterbury Tales. Fate vs. Fortuna, knowledge vs. experience and love vs. hate all embody Chaucers famous work. These contrasting themes are an integral part of the complexity and sophistication of the book, as they provide for an ironic dichotomy to the creative plot development and undermine the superficial assumptions that might be made. The combination of completelyRead MoreThe Power Of Women In Geoffrey Chaucers The Wife Of Bath2180 Words   |  9 Pagestruly want. According to the tale told by the Wife of Bath, â€Å"Women desire to have sovereignty/ As well over their husbands as their loves, / And to be in mastery them above† (Chaucer 1044-1046). This statement means that to be masters over their husbands is the ultimate desire of all women. Therefore, the power women have in this time is the power over their husbands, and this power is what they truly desire. However, this is not a common occurrence, and the Wife of Bath believes that in her experience