Women and Equality
Women have not always had the respect and equality they have today. Throughout history, women were inferior to men. Women lived in a male-dominated society that portrayed women as an inferior race. Over the years, women eventually gained the rights and opportunities that generations before them lacked. It was the strong-hearted, courageous, and motivated women of the past who fought for equality, and did not give up until they achieved it. Chaucer appears to be one of the first authors of his time to support women by creating two very strong-willed and successful women in the Wife of Bath, and the hag in the Wife of Bath's tale. By giving these women characteristics of strength, courage, and confidence, and by exemplifying the divergent roles women played, Chaucer contradicts the gender roles and stereotypes of his time that had dictated extremely subservient lives for women. The Wife of Bath's prologue and tale reveal that power is not important, and that true happiness can only be attained through equality.Through the eyes of his woman characters, Chaucer points out that there is far too much reliance on power (Kittredge). This constant power struggle was responsible for the horrible distortion of women's characters an
The Wife of Bath's first three husbands were rich, old, and submissive (Kittredge). Her fourth husband had a mistress, and her fifth husband beat her. It was Jakkin, her fifth husband whom she truly loved even though he did not treat her well.(Norton) In the End, even though she brags about her shameless manipulation of her husbands and claims that her sexual powers can conquer anyone, she reveals her softer side and deep fondness for the one man she could not control. (Norton) The Wife's fifth husband was in a category of is own. This husband was different from the other four because she married him for love, not money. "My fifthe housbonde-God his soule blesse!- Which that I took for love and no richesse..." (Lines 531-532) The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale can relate to the power struggles between man and woman that occurred in past eras and continue today. Thus, lifestyles conceivably change over time, but the basic power struggles between man and wife virtually stay the same. The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale contradicts many of the oppressive customs that were attached to women of that time period. Chaucer contradicts the male dominated society of his time by reversing the gender roles and giving women the power and control. The moral of the Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale is that men and women should be equal and the power struggles that have lasted so long between the two genders should finally end. Underneath all the power and dominance lies the realization of equality, that true happiness is attained when partners mutually respect each other, and share the power. The Wife of Bath's experience with her five husbands can easily be compared to everyday situations that contemporary women go through. Women can relate to the various feelings the Wife of Bath had for her husbands. The faults that the Wife found in her husbands can be compared to the faults that women today find in their partners. This shows the many conflicts that can arise in relationships. The Wife's experiences with her husbands can relate to realistic situations that women all over the world have gone through. The Wife of Bath shows that it can take many years of p
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1476
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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