Essay Comparing The Wife Of Bath And The Pardoner's Tale

The Superior Story

Which story is more fascinating and has more prominent morals? The Canterbury Tales, composed of 22 distinct stories and penned by a man named Geoffrey Chaucer, are very complex and purposeful stories that are applicable to real life scenarios and have rooted hidden morals that should be things that humans pursue. Two of the most acknowledged tales across the globe in the Canterbury Tales are “The Pardoner’s Tale,” and “The Wife of Bath.” These two tales have abounding similarities but both provide contrasting elements to produce altercation and an argument. “The Wife of Bath” tale is the better story because it encompasses fantastical elements, builds further suspense, includes a more complex plot, and contains more morals.

The first reason that I thought the “Wife of Bath” was a more fascinating and better story morally was its use of fantastical elements and it established suspenseful moments. The story is depicted as fantastical, “This was a land brim-full of fairy folk. The elf-queen and her courtiers joined and broke. Their elfin dance on many a green mead, or so was the opinion once, I read, Hundreds of years ago, in days of yore. But no one now sees fairies any more”(33-38). The story adds suspense by saying “Yet you shall live if you can answer me: What is the thing that women most desire?”(80-81). The first quote talks about fantastical elements, which presents the story with further detail and makes the story less dull. The second quote forms suspense by saying that the knight can live if he answers a question. Knowing that the knight’s life is on the line creates suspense throughout the story, and the story is more intriguing when fantastical elements are carefully placed into the story.
Another reason that the “Wife of Bath” tale is the superior one is because this story has a more complex plot and gives us more modern day morals to pursue.

The knight changes in the story, “My lady, my love, and my dearest wife, I leave the matter to your wise decision. You make the choice yourself, for the provision. Of what may be agreeable and rich In honor to us both, I don’t care which; Whatever pleases you suffices me”(406-411). Likewise, the Wife of Bath states, “You have two choices; which one will you try? To have me old and ugly till I die, But still a loyal, true, and humble wife, That never will displease you all her life, Or would you rather I were young and pretty”(395-399). The first quote displays that this story is superior because it has a more complex plot. The knight’s character develops from the beginning to the end of the story, and that shows part of a complex plot. The second quote shows that there are other morals in this story, especially multiple morals that apply to real life. The lesson from the “Wife of Bath” informs us that it doesn’t matter how pretty she is or how rich she is, it’s about how loyal and loving she is. This is a lot more valuable lesson, especially in today’s society because some people are blinded by the unimportant things when it comes to love. The “Wife of Bath” has superior morals as well as more morals that apply to real life, and has a more complex plot, which makes the story overall

better.
On the other hand, some may say that “The Pardoner’s Tale” is the better story because it only has one moral of the story, which is about greed, but it pertains to everybody because everyone can be caught with a form of greed, compared to the other stories morals that not everybody relates to. The other tale lectures about greed, “If one could only get the gold away, Back to my house, or else to yours, perhaps, for as you know, the gold is ours, chaps, We’d all be at the top of fortune, hey?”(183-186). Greed is such a vigorous moral to learn from just because of today’s society. But, because there is one central moral it is simple to pick out and grasp from, which makes this story so bland.
On the contrary, “The Wife of Bath” includes so many more hidden morals and readers may pick up on the hidden morals rather than just the main moral from “The Wife of Bath” that might not pertain to them.

A hidden moral or power and punishment lies in the “Wife of Bath” tale, “He saw a maiden walking all forlorn ahead of him, alone as she was born. And of that spite maiden, spite of all she said. By force he took her maidenhead” (61- 64). There is a hidden moral here, which may pertain to someone more than the main moral of the story, which is why it is superior to have more than one moral in case the main moral doesn’t apply to all. With more morals, even though they are hidden, it pertains to a broader audience. The tale also has a moral of gentility, “And word of honor, you shall find me both, That is, both fair and faithful as a wife”(416-417). This is another hidden moral in the tale of the “Wife of Bath.” This tale just offers extra variety than the other tale, which makes it a superior story, along with its more exciting plot, suspense, and fantastical

elements.
All in all, “The Wife of Bath” was the more effective and better story because it has more and better morals as well as is more exciting to read. “The Pardoner’s Tale” just doesn’t have as much to offer as “The Wife of Bath” provides readers with excitement, suspense, many morals, and a complex plot to follow along with. With extra morals, it pertains to a larger audience more personally rather than just assuming that one moral will be the best moral to teach the whole audience. Wouldn’t you rather have a more personal moral than be assumed that one main moral fits you best?