The Reeve's Tale Analysis

Geoffrey Chaucer depicts the stereotypical images of women in The Reeve’s Tale by utilizing the Miller’s wife and their daughter, Malyne. Chaucer elucidate how women during the Medieval times were oppressed and subservient; they can not decide how they can live. Women were considered to be of lower hierarchy to men and must obey every command given to them.

To emphasize the stereotypical image of women during Medieval Times, while Aleyn and John sought revenge against the infamous Miller for stealing their corn, they aimed at the Miller’s wife and the daughter because they knew that the two women were vulnerable and easily manipulated.
When Aleyn crept into Malyne’s bed, the narrator articulates that “it was too late to cry out, and shortly

to speak, they were together.” The sexual intercourse between Aleyn and Malyne was essentially rape; it implies that she would have protested if she could. Her futile cries could not have stopped Aleyn.

In addition, after Aleyn and Malyne’s sexual intercourse through the night, she betrays her father by giving Aleyn the location of the cake in which she helped to steal and make, stating, “When thou go homeward by the mill, right at the entry behind the door thou shalt find a cake of half a bushel that was made of thine own meal, which i helped my father to steal.” This further proves Chaucer’s depiction of women being as weak and powerless during the Medieval times due to her submissiveness towards Aleyn even after he had non consensual sex with her.
According to Standards of Living in the Middle Ages by Ian Dawson, he proclaims that “Women had to submit to men’s authority, and this submission range from sexual desires to commands.” As a repercussion, women were abused and taken advantage of by men.