“I grante thee lyf, if thou kanst tellen me what thyng is it that wommen moost desiren.Be war and keep thy nekke-boon from iren” (line 910- 912) The queen had decided on how to punish the knight for raping the woman. She told him to find what women most desire. The knight had asked an ugly older woman what that answer was. Instead of giving him the answer she proposed a deal. She would give the answer to him if he does whatever she asks him to. The knight agrees and returns to the queen with the correct answer which is to have control.
The knight returns to the ugly woman and return the favor. The woman wants to marry him. She gives him a choice of being ugly and loyal or beautiful and disloyal. The knight responds by letting the woman have control and figure out the answer on her own. The culture in the medieval times represented anti- feminism. Chaucer challenges this way of living by giving women the control. Instead of men and women being equal or men being dominant, in the story the women were in control. Even when the wife was explaining her 4 marriages she was dominant in the relationship.
In the General Prologue the story represented the social changes in Medieval English Society. Throughout the whole
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There was also conflict with the class system. There were certain stereotypes people expected. “Wel koude he stelen corn and tollen thries.” (line 562)Instead of being a great miller he is quite the opposite. He chares three times the normal fee. The monk as another example is expected to be extremely religious and follow the culture of the monks. “A monk ther was, a fair for the maistrie, and outridere that lovede venerie.” (line 165-166) This monk was finely dressed and enjoyed hunting. It would not be expected for a monk to enjoy hunting. Instead of constantly working and being deprived of what a normal life would be, the story shows the monk has the normal