Literary Elements of Chaucer's "The Wife of Bath’s Tale
Literary Elements of Chaucer's "The Wife of Bath’s Tale"
Fairy tales have been around for centuries. There are many elements of a fairy-tale: characters, setting, plot, problem, events, solution, and tone through illustrations. There are also purposes of fairy tales: pass time and messages and subtle rebellion. Chaucer’s view of the Wife of Bath’s Tale centers on fairy tale and its structure, and ending with the fact that woman should have devoted husbands.
A highlight of a fairy tale is the events that lead to the happy ending. The queen sending the knight on an educational quest, his education, in all actuality, comes through woman and the queen’s challenge puts him in situation where what is traditionally thought of as a shortcoming-a woman’s inability to keep a secret-is the only thing that can save him. The happy ending assigned to the knight shows that fairy-tale structure is evident. The fact that the knight is a rapist and freed from punishment and ultimately rewarded with a young, beautiful, and faithful wife shows that the tale has a twisted sense of fairy-tale structure.
This tale inhabits many elements of a fairy tale especially the plat. The Wife of Bath’s Tale also offers conflicting elements when it comes to this solution. The fact that gives the old woman the power to decide what’s best for them is conflicting. The plot of a fairy tale is very different from this tale. Fairy tales usually show the man as being the one with power, but in this tale the woman exhibits the power. The old woman shows this power when she is speaking to the knight and says,
“My love and lady, my dear wife,
In your wise government I put my life,
Choose for yourself which course will best agree
With Pleasure and honor, both for you and me.” (909)
Conceding the point and giving the woman power shows how the knight gains both choices, a ugly and trustworthy or beautiful and lecherous wife, and become happy. This is another example of the element for a happy ending in a fairy tale.
Another point of a fairy tale structure is the characters within the tales. In the Wife of Bath’s Tale the character, the knight, is a little ironic, the hero happens to be a rapist. Even after the old woman saves the knight from execution, he behaves coldly and dismissive towards her. Still, this opens up the knight for his...