Verified Document

Women In Beowulf And Canterbury Term Paper

Seeing that he was miserable, she told him he could either have her loyal but ugly or beautiful and unfaithful (Chaucer pp). The knight leaves the decision up to her thus, giving the old hag exactly what she wanted, to be in control of her husband. This decision resulted in the old hag becoming beautiful and loyal (Chaucer pp). Women are central to this tale from the beginning to the end. The knight is saved by the queen, then is sent on a quest to find what appeared to be an impossible answer to a riddle concerning women, and then is saved again at the last minute by another woman who, although wise, was ugly and undesirable. However, he proved true, loyal and obedient, and granted the hag the one thing she wished, control over her man. And in doing so, he received what he truly wanted which was a beautiful and faithful wife.

Chaucer begins the "Miller's Tale" by describing the social circumstances surrounding the group. The Miller is drunk and some feel it would be best if he simply passed up his chance to speak and let someone else entertain, however the Miller insists and apologizes in advance for anything that he might say (Chaucer pp). This tale does not paint the female character as one of wisdom and loyalty as in the Wife's tale, but rather as a lusty young maiden, who much resembles the Wife herself. The Miller explains that his tale is about a carpenter, his young wife, a student and a clerk. The student boarded with the carpenter and his wife, and one day while the carpenter was away, the student came forth with his intentions to the wife, who...

The student then planned a scheme that would allow him to be alone with the wife long enough to have his pleasure (Chaucer pp). The jest of the story is that the carpenter's wife has two suitors, the student and a clerk, as well as her jealous husband, although she claims to love only the student. The tale resembles a common pub tale, not particularly one that is told in a social gathering. However, it is the men in the tale who prove foolish, while the wife escapes any consequences (Chaucer pp).
The women in "Beowulf" are much portrayed as the "either/or," such as the Madonna - whore, they were either evil or good. While in Chaucer's tales, the women move from being revered, as in "The Wife of Bath" to being instrumental in creating fools of men by using sexual powers. The women in these tales move from an antiquated and restrictive portrayal of female power, as in "Beowulf," to an accepted and appreciative place of honor and reverence, as in the Wife's tale, to a carefree spontaneity in the Miller's story. The women move from conformity to freedom.

Works Cited

Beowulf. Retrieved September 25, 2005 at http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/AnoBeow.html

Chaucer, Geoffrey. "The Miller's Prologue and Tale; The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale."

Retrieved September 25, 2005 at http://www.librarius.com/cantales.htm

Dockray-Miller, Mary. "The masculine queen of 'Beowulf.'" Women and Language. September 22, 1998. Retrieved September 24, 2005 from HighBeam Research Library Web site.

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Beowulf. Retrieved September 25, 2005 at http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/AnoBeow.html

Chaucer, Geoffrey. "The Miller's Prologue and Tale; The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale."

Retrieved September 25, 2005 at http://www.librarius.com/cantales.htm

Dockray-Miller, Mary. "The masculine queen of 'Beowulf.'" Women and Language. September 22, 1998. Retrieved September 24, 2005 from HighBeam Research Library Web site.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Beowulf As a Hero Lesson
Words: 8817 Length: 19 Document Type: Journal

Your answer should be at least five sentences long. The Legend of Arthur Lesson 1 Journal Entry # 9 of 16 Journal Exercise 1.7A: Honor and Loyalty 1. Consider how Arthur's actions and personality agree with or challenge your definition of honor. Write a few sentences comparing your definition (from Journal 1.6A) with Arthur's actions and personality. 2. Write a brief paragraph explaining the importance or unimportance of loyalty in being honorable. Lesson 1 Journal

Beowulf As a Hero Lesson
Words: 2900 Length: 10 Document Type: Journal

Those with issues to overcome are always more heroic. Hector also becomes a hero when, after at first running from Achilles, he eventually stands up to him and dies a heroic death. The Iliad is primarily a war epic. In your opinion, is the Iliad condemnation of the it could easily be argued that the Illiad glorifies war, as much of the poem is spent portraying the warriors as brave

Role of Women: Oedipus the
Words: 1357 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

Thryth is however easily rehabilitated by marriage, as she is to some degree functional within her society. Grendel's mother is not, and the only remedy for her type of complete evil is death. As her son, she is an outcast, and deserving of a death as such. Her evil has no place in a society that sees itself as predominantly good. In Oedipus, the fulfillment of fate is the ultimate

Leadership, Values, and Beowulf the Epic Poem
Words: 840 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Leadership, Values, And Beowulf The epic poem of Beowulf is a narrative a famous warrior who eventually becomes a powerful king. The story involves the exploits of a Scandinavian warrior-prince who comes from the land of the Geats, located in what is now southern Sweden. The poem may be divided into two periods of the Beowulf's life. These two periods exemplify the heroic life in youth and old age. The poem starts

Gender Roles Depicted in Beowulf
Words: 2160 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

.. she would disclose nothing about the one unto the other, save what might avail to their reconcilement." (Confessions, Book IX, 21) It is certainly true that Monica was patient and long-suffering with her arbitrary son. The pitiful story depicted in Confessions describes how she pursued her rebellious son to Rome, to find he had already left for Milan. She continued to follow him (a model of bravery in itself) and

Mentor for the Squire the Canterbury Tales"
Words: 850 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Mentor for the Squire The Canterbury Tales" and "Beowulf" were written centuries apart, yet, each work contains similar elements such as heroism and chivalry. Chaucer's tale, set in the late 1300's England, depicts English society as each character tells a story to pass the time during a delayed journey. The anonymous author of "Beowulf" sets his story during the sixth century and describes the heroic life of its protagonist. Both

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now