Dame Allison In The Canterbury Tales

Throughout the Canterbury Tales, by Jeffrey Chaucer, many characters have been satirized to point out the issues of everyday society, and it is evident that the tales are able to connect with not only the past but the present as well. Furthermore, Chaucer utilizes the tales as a tool to fully characterize and detail the characters of the novel. In the Wife of Bath’s prologue, it is evident that Dame Allison is an individual who is portrayed as a negative character by Chaucer as she is revealed as someone who dominates men to obtain whatever she desires. Thus, the tale she recites is perfectly suited for her because it perfectly illustrates how women have power over their husbands and are able to achieve sovereignty over them. This relates

This is seen when she is with her fifth husband and sees him reading the book of wicked wives. She tears out pages from the book and throws it into the fire, which results in a fight ensuing. In the end, she appears dead which frightens her husband, however, wakes up, and her husband begins to apologize profusely for hitting her. As a result, the wife secures the husbands ‘house and land’ and also everything else he had. This event illustrates how the Wife is an individual with no morals and will do anything in order for her husbands to give her anything she wants. The tale also connects with this event as it is seen that the old hag is similar in characteristics to the Wife of Bath as she takes advantage of the Knight when he seeks her help. When the Knight goes to the court to answer the question of what women desire most, he successfully answers the question, however, ends up being forced to marry the old hag because she told him the answer. This relates back to the Wife as she used to take advantage of her husbands to get money and sex and now, it is seen that this old hag uses the opportunity in court, to secure him as her husband. Furthermore, the hag eventually seizes the opportunity to obtain sovereignty when she gives the Knight a choice: either he chooses for her to remain old and ugly, yet faithful and loving, or become beautiful and lovely, but no guarantee of her being faithful or loving to him. He decides to let his wife decide, which ultimately symbolizes the moment when power has fully transferred over to his wife. This moment demonstrates how the old hag uses beauty and devotion to her husband to get him to subdue his ability to make decisions. In connection to the Wife of Bath, she used to take advantage of her husbands by getting them to give her ‘their gold and land,' in addition to letting her do as she please ‘for all the rest