The Canterbury Tales

After completing a few of the readings contained within the Canterbury Tales it is very prevalent that Geoffrey Chaucer is pro-church. Very readily during his short stories he demonstrates a vast reference to many biblical readings as well as biblical people. He justifies comments with biblical phrases or interpretation; this allows Chaucer to express his religious views without offending the reader.

In the "Wife of Bath's Tale", Chaucer applies many biblical references to justify the six husbands contained within the tale. He expresses how God's own people had more than one wife or did not see a reason for virginity. "But there as God will give it of his might" (78), from here he begins to demonstrate or extract the flaws and misperception of the bible. He shows that multiple marriages is not reprimanded by God, "And each of them had wives more than two, Any many another holy man also" (57, 58). Towards the end of this tale he shows the devotion to God by saying, "I pray to God that I may starven wood" (1242). Then directly following this tale is a short tale referencing the prior tale, this tale is "The Friar's Tale". This tale is very interesting in that it picks up in a general area as to where the Wife of Bath ends. And throughout this tale it speaks of the devil and his deceptive ways. There is a reference to the telling of a truth to what seems to be normal citizen, this turns out to be the devil himself. And he tries to gain payment for sins.

In this week's readings there are many interpretations as to the relationship between genders. At some points in these tales woman express their desire to be above all and be the higher authority. And to some extent there is an agreement between genders pertaining to this matter. The tale ends with a somewhat mutual agreement between husband and wife. The overall discussion places adverse feelings on one gender and as the tale progresses the burden becomes shifted to the other gender. This transition happens in a unique and unforeseen manner. Once the gender role is reversed there seems to be some sort of repent or sorrow for what has been pot rayed to the reader until this point.

Women in literature up to this point have been in more of supporting roles and show sympathy and compassion for the main character. As in the Odyssey where Ulysses wife will not allow herself to be remarried until she receives a confirmation of her husband's death or were about. And within that story even with the main character out of role the attention is shifted to his son who is in search of his father. And during this time again his mother remains at the house and out of the main topic of discussion. But slowly during the last readings women have become more predominant within the stories or tales. They have been assigned to a more relevant role in the story and provided a weight in the decision of the story. This