The Wife Of Baths Tale By Chaucer Essay, Research Paper

In the “Wife of Baths Tale”, one of the many stories included in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, there are a number of ironies. For example, the tale focuses on a knight who defies the ideas of chivalry and knighthood. He does so, by raping a young woman. He is a man who thinks that he is mighty and superior to all. He perceives women as lower beings.As the story progresses, it comes time for the knight to keep to his deal with the old women. Here we see him lose control of the situation. Even though he thinks that he is superior to all women we see the irony that in the end he gives into a woman. The downfall progresses and we see another example of this irony when the knight is given a choice. The old women tells him that he can choose whether she should become beautiful and rich and he will always be jealous and unhappy. Or she can stay the same, an old decrepit women who is a sore sight but will always be faithful to him. He answers her by saying ” whatever pleases you suffice”. Through this quote we see that he is again giving into a women, something that he never would have done in the past.

A second example of irony within the tale, is a rather simple one and at the same time a very important one. It is the setting of the Medieval time period and how it pertains to the story. A knight, during Medieval times was a man who was honorable, chivalrous, virtuous, loyal and respectful to women. How ironic is it that the knight in this story contains none of these attributes. This is portrayed by the fact that he rapes a young woman. Something that never would have been done by a typical knight of those times. In conclusion in the “Wife of Baths Tale” one of the stories in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales there are examples of irony. Mainly pertaining to how the man in the story perceived women and how knights were usually perceived during the Medieval time period.