Portrayal of the Old Woman in The Wife of Bath and the General Prologue Geoffrey Chaucer's late 1300s literary work, The Canterbury Tales. . The Wife of Bath creates a heroine through whom it is possible to live vicariously. In the character of the “old woman,” readers find the embodiment of a woman who gains power by weaving the threads of youth, beauty, and desire. In the tale, the boundaries between reality and deception do not exist. Woman is her own creation. The Wife of Bath, within her mortal limitations, elevated her own societal position through the same techniques that are illustrated, to such a hyperbolized degree, through the character of her narrative. The protagonist of the story, the knight, is a victim of the old woman and cannot escape the trap she has set for him. The knight therefore symbolizes status-naive men who are the object of the wife's insatiable desire. The old woman and the knight thus populate a story attributed to the most appropriate pilgrim of the journey, the Wife of Bath. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In the General Prologue, Chaucer describes the wife's "finely woven scarves... of earth" and her "pipes... of the finest scarlet red." "Garter" stockings and "soft and new" shoes revealing the ankles combine to create an image of wealth and attractiveness Obviously, the woman knows how to transform her aging figure into something to be desired While Chaucer depicts the wife only in her costumed state. Having had five husbands reveals that she is not a young woman. However, what nature takes over time, the woman makes up for with flamboyant clothing tactically placed on her body. with its red hue and its massive, rounded silhouette, evokes the tempting apple of Eden, attracting rich and naive men. It reverses the curse of original sin. It is men who are victims of temptation. Bath has the past experience of "the companionship of her youth", the solution to future consequences with "the remedies for love's misfortunes", and so her present is busy finding a sixth husband. What a powerful facade she finds in wealth, and in the clothes and accessories it brings her. Like the fictional heroine of her own tale, the Wife of Bath is her own creator. Similarly, the old woman in the Wife of Bath tale is aware of the power of deception. While "a more foul-looking creature...could hardly be imagined", when readers are introduced to the woman with the tale's protagonist, the creature transforms into a beautiful woman after gaining dominion over her husband . It is interesting to note that the woman chooses not to assume a state of youth and beauty from the start. Although the capacity for eternal perfection is within this creature's power, it reserves the right to assume this desirable state until it has obtained the "sovereignty" it seeks. If the woman had presented herself to the knight as a young blonde woman, her fate could have resembled that of the raped girl. Instead, the creature manipulates the knight into a submissive position. Only then, after she has “conquered mastery,” can the couple “live forever to the end / In perfect happiness.” Both this character and the Wife possess a wit and ingenuity that allows them to manipulate and dominate, confirming the Wife's previous assertion.."

Essay / Portrayal of the Old Woman in The Wife of Bath and the General Prologue Geoffrey Chaucer's late 1300s literary work, The Canterbury Tales. . The Wife of Bath creates a heroine through whom it is possible to live vicariously. In the character of the “old woman,” readers find the embodiment of a woman who gains power by weaving the threads of youth, beauty, and desire. In the tale, the boundaries between reality and deception do not exist. Woman is her own creation. The Wife of Bath, within her mortal limitations, elevated her own societal position through the same techniques that are illustrated, to such a hyperbolized degree, through the character of her narrative. The protagonist of the story, the knight, is a victim of the old woman and cannot escape the trap she has set for him. The knight therefore symbolizes status-naive men who are the object of the wife's insatiable desire. The old woman and the knight thus populate a story attributed to the most appropriate pilgrim of the journey, the Wife of Bath. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In the General Prologue, Chaucer describes the wife's "finely woven scarves... of earth" and her "pipes... of the finest scarlet red." "Garter" stockings and "soft and new" shoes revealing the ankles combine to create an image of wealth and attractiveness Obviously, the woman knows how to transform her aging figure into something to be desired While Chaucer depicts the wife only in her costumed state. Having had five husbands reveals that she is not a young woman. However, what nature takes over time, the woman makes up for with flamboyant clothing tactically placed on her body. with its red hue and its massive, rounded silhouette, evokes the tempting apple of Eden, attracting rich and naive men. It reverses the curse of original sin. It is men who are victims of temptation. Bath has the past experience of "the companionship of her youth", the solution to future consequences with "the remedies for love's misfortunes", and so her present is busy finding a sixth husband. What a powerful facade she finds in wealth, and in the clothes and accessories it brings her. Like the fictional heroine of her own tale, the Wife of Bath is her own creator. Similarly, the old woman in the Wife of Bath tale is aware of the power of deception. While "a more foul-looking creature...could hardly be imagined", when readers are introduced to the woman with the tale's protagonist, the creature transforms into a beautiful woman after gaining dominion over her husband . It is interesting to note that the woman chooses not to assume a state of youth and beauty from the start. Although the capacity for eternal perfection is within this creature's power, it reserves the right to assume this desirable state until it has obtained the "sovereignty" it seeks. If the woman had presented herself to the knight as a young blonde woman, her fate could have resembled that of the raped girl. Instead, the creature manipulates the knight into a submissive position. Only then, after she has “conquered mastery,” can the couple “live forever to the end / In perfect happiness.” Both this character and the Wife possess a wit and ingenuity that allows them to manipulate and dominate, confirming the Wife's previous assertion.."

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