Women In Early English Literature
For characters in early English literature, race, a lower class, or simply the fact of being female alters the ease of achieving goodness due to societal prejudices. Peasants often speak in prose rather than verse, and authors code their villains with lower social standing and racially ambiguous backgrounds. In the days of Marie de France, love is an emotion felt only by the rich and noble. From these standards, the idea of a feminine dichotomy, or the distinct categorization of women as either good or evil, arises. Any number of faults, such as promiscuity or shrewdness, might doom a character to the latter category, whereas beauty and chasteness mark members of the former. Although seemingly a complimentary portrayal, the use of the flawless
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(698-703)
In her speech, she expresses that if women were telling the narratives, they would criticize men in a similar manner. Her point illustrates the hypocrisy and misogyny in literature, demonstrating the unfair and incomplete nature of the portrayal of women. Through his inclusion of the Wife, Chaucer also avoids the issue she addresses - because of the epistolary nature of the work, he gives the Wife the opportunity to paint herself. The other members of the party allow the Wife to tell her story, and by doing so, give her the opportunity to define herself however she chooses - an opportunity Lanval’s lover certainly never had. Another way in which the Wife challenges the expectations set up by the feminine dichotomy is present in her opinions on “mastery” (The Wife of Bath’s Prologue 815). Though she loves her current husband more than any other, the Wife has remarried many times. In her prologue she reasons that this fact reflects little on her personal morality, citing the Bible: “‘Look, here's the wise king, lordly Solomon:/I do believe his wives were more than one’” (35-36). Furthermore, she prides herself on challenging the power balance between man and wife. Regarding her own relationship, she claims that her husband allows her autonomy,
(698-703)
In her speech, she expresses that if women were telling the narratives, they would criticize men in a similar manner. Her point illustrates the hypocrisy and misogyny in literature, demonstrating the unfair and incomplete nature of the portrayal of women. Through his inclusion of the Wife, Chaucer also avoids the issue she addresses - because of the epistolary nature of the work, he gives the Wife the opportunity to paint herself. The other members of the party allow the Wife to tell her story, and by doing so, give her the opportunity to define herself however she chooses - an opportunity Lanval’s lover certainly never had. Another way in which the Wife challenges the expectations set up by the feminine dichotomy is present in her opinions on “mastery” (The Wife of Bath’s Prologue 815). Though she loves her current husband more than any other, the Wife has remarried many times. In her prologue she reasons that this fact reflects little on her personal morality, citing the Bible: “‘Look, here's the wise king, lordly Solomon:/I do believe his wives were more than one’” (35-36). Furthermore, she prides herself on challenging the power balance between man and wife. Regarding her own relationship, she claims that her husband allows her autonomy,