Kneeghts and Fayerays: Every Middle (English) Man for Themselves

This story was a complete and total whirlwind. I've never read Middle English before, so I decided that it would be best to read the entire thing out loud and get a feel for the words. It is so very, very difficult not to say knight as nite instead of KNEECHT and might as MEECHT, but it was a learning experience, and was actually really enjoyable and hilarious.   

Im heer to ruine alle youre lives. 

That being said, I did like the story overall. I thought there was a bit of a change in the Wife's sermon now that we read it in the original text, that there was more emphasis placed on poverty than what the modern English version had given us. Maybe it's just because it's a different form of English, but I felt there was a lot more emphasis placed on the socioeconomic status of the wife. 

I also felt it was easier to disconnect from the kneecht and his crime, maybe because it takes a little longer to process the words, but...  I didn't see too much emphasis on character? I mean, there are Distinct People here who Do Things, but aside from the fact that the kneecht is a completely shitty person, there's not a lot of who they are. I couldn't really feel much personality from any of them, which is always strange for me in a piece of literature. 

(and now I'm going to forever refer to "knights" as "kneechts" and no one can stop me)

Who knew Mean Girls, Britney and the Wife of Bath could relate somehow?

We have started reading the “Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale” by Geoffrey Chaucer and I have to say that it is a doozey. I have actually read this story twice before, once with Dr. MB and another time in high school. Luckily, because of this, the Middle English did not scare me as much as it did the first time. But a word to the wise- the notes and translations on the side of the page help immensely! But anyways, back to the Wife of Bath. What is everyone’s opinion of her? I confess that my opinion of her has changed after having read the story several times now. My first impression was to thrust the story aside because the ease with which the Wife flouted her escapades and manipulations over the men in her life made me sick. However, I have begun to wonder if she was not just a product of her time period? Like we have been saying in class, women had little to no power in medieval times. Maybe the Wife of Bath’s prologue and her life’s accomplishments are just an over exaggeration of what she really wants in life- power. The Wife has had five husbands- not too farfetched a fate in this day and age to be honest. She said that she has had three good husbands and two bad. (197) What I found most saddening about this prologue was the story about the one husband that she married for love. His name was Janekyn and he was her fifth husband (303). How cruel it must be, (though she was twice his age) to love someone and marry them for love and then to find that love to be imperfect.

 

But I digress, there is so much to say about the Wife’s actual tale, and I still cannot tell you whether I like it or not. I suppose I am relieved that the knight in question actually learned that what women want most is a choice, a chance for equality. However, do I believe he deserved redemption for his crimes in the beginning of the story?

 

 

Absolutely not. I really just do not believe that he, at the end of the story, deserved to have a wife that was both beautiful and good. I mean…he raped a young maiden for the love of Pete! Perhaps some of my group members could share their opinions on this? Does this knight deserve his rewards at the end of the story? OR am I missing the point completely…maybe it is about the woman? Maybe she chooses to be beautiful and good, not for him, but for herself?