Relationship Between the Old Woman and the Knight

I think that the relationship between the knight and the old woman is the most entertaining and interesting concept from The Wife of Bath’s Tale. At first, the knight really appreciates the old woman because she tells him what women truly want. The knight is very excited about it because this truth saves his life. As anyone would want to, the knight promises to repay the old woman with anything she wants. I literally laughed out loud when I read the woman’s request for the knight to make her his wife.

The knight and the old woman don’t have a traditional marriage. One bad aspect of the relationship is that the knight feels that he deserves someone with a higher status. I think this was very typical during Arthurian times. Noble people naturally married other noble people. On page 289, the knight discusses all of the reasons that he resents his wife saying, "you are so ugly, and so old also, and come from such lowly birth."

I found it ironic that at the end of the tale, the knight gives his wife what women truly want and he is rewarded. On page 295, the wife wanted him to choose whether he wanted her to be ugly and humble or beautiful and coveted by other men. The fact that he let her choose worked out great for him because then she became beautiful and good. The relationship between the knight and his wife shows that relationships can work out when both parties are willing to compromise. Also, the story really emphasized the point that husbands should give women power in the relationship.

·      How did the relationship between the knight and his wife compare to the relationship between the Wife of Bath and her last husband?

·      How did the message of the tale tie back to the prologue?