The Relationship Between the Teller and the Tale in The Wife
The Wife of Bath’s Prologue is by far the longest prologue of the Canterbury Tales. Though lengthy is her description, the self-portrait provided is not nearly as clear-cut as that of the other characters. However, the underlying theme of this prologue reveals itself to be an account of the trials of marriage. Basing her description out of her own experience and speaking apart from the authority of the Bible, the Wife with her five marriages is well qualified to address the woes of matrimony. This theme leads directly into the Wife’s tale. It is evident that what the Wife speaks of in her tale is most likely a description of what she desires from her partner. The setting of her story is in the time of King Arthur and speaks of a young knight who has been condemned to death for rape. At the request of the queen, the knight’s life is spared. The stipulation to her securing his life is that he (the knight) must find out, within a year, what thing women most desire. The setting alone gives this story a universal appli
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Some common words found in the essay are:
King Arthur, Canterbury Tales, Bible Wife, Baths Prologue, women desire, ugly woman, setting story, answer question, wife tells, day knight,
Approximate Word count = 686
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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