The Wife Of Bath's Prologue Analysis

What are your thoughts on marriage? Do you still believe that in modern society it is still about love? In, “The Canterbury Tales”, Chaucer uses “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue” and “The Miller’s Tale” to convincingly illustrate that marriage does not always involve love; in modern society marriage is cycling back to the way it was in the Middle Ages.

“The Wife of Bath’s Prologue” involved a woman named Alison, who was in 5 marriages in which 4 of her husbands died. She did not kill them, but instead for the first 3 she worked them to death and took all their money. In the introduction she explains that the first three were the best. The fourth husband he had a huge jealousy problem mostly because the wife flirted often with other men, even in front of him. She gave him blue balls until he died. As for the fifth, he beat her yet she loved him the most and gave him all her land and property. In the end, they end up with an agreement and he spoiled her and loves her.

From reading “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue” I understand that Alison feels as if women should always be superior over their husbands. For example, when she says “the woman’s wise whose busy till she’s won the love she wants, or she’ll be left with none”. But since I

had them wholly in my hand and they had given to me all their land, Why should I pay them heed and try to please, Unless it were for profit and for ease?” on line 210-214. Alison is basically saying that woman shouldn’t give out their goods to their men for free. They should get all types of land and money because the men don’t deserve it for free.
In “The Miller’s Tale” is a dramatic story full of twist and turns and has an unexpected ending. There is a young beautiful lady named Alison who is kept locked up because her older husband, John, who was extremely jealous. Because of his jealousy Alison had strayed away and fell in love with a nearby clerk named Nicholas. Also because Alison was so beautiful, she had another boy toy named Absalom who was so in love he gave her all types of gifts. Although Alison had so many men she only loved Nicholas, so they came up with a plan to keep John away so they could have one night together. Nicholas lies to John saying the world is going to be flooded and he can save him and Alison, but only if they follow his instructions. They hang tubs on the ceiling so that when the water comes they can drop the tubs in the water and float to safety.
Yet the part of the plan that John didn’t know was that Nicholas and Alison were going to sneak and have their one night together. But the plan did not go as planned, Absalom wanted a kiss and went to Alison’s window. Alison didn’t want to kiss him so she messed with him and had him kiss her hairy butt, which made Absalom very upset. Absalom ended up going to a friend’s house named Dan Jarvis, and borrows a red-hot coulter. He goes to the window once more and asks for another kiss, yet around this time Nicholas got up to use the bathroom and wanted to fart in Absalom’s face.
When he stuck his butt out the window Absalom burned his butt with the coulter, which made Nicholas make a huge commotion. Nicholas screamed for water so loud that it woke John which made his cut the rope for his tub thinking the world was flooded. After that Nicholas and Alison screamed and went down the street telling the neighbors how crazy John was. For example, they said “He was so much afraid of Noel’s flood, through fantasy, that out of vanity He’d gone and bought these kneading-tubs, all three, And that he’d hung them near the roof above; And that he had prayed them, for God’s dear love, To sit with him and bear him company.” The story ended with “And everyone did laugh at all this strife. Thus futtered was the carpenter’s goodwife, for all his watching and his jealousy; and Absalom has kissed her neither eye; and Nicholas is branded on the butt. This tale is done, and God save all the rout!”
According to the video “What you don’t know about marriage”, the U.S.

federal government counts more than a thousand legal benefits for being someone’s spouse. So in modern day American society many people may get married just for the legal benefits and also the video added some additional information. The video states “married people make more money, we’re healthier, we produce happier, more stable and successful kids” and “we live longer”. Although the video was more of a comedy video and probably not a reliable source I do believe some of the information could be true. It could be possible that they do live longer because they make more money together for health insurance, security, better living conditions, and etc. (McCarthy,

Jenna.)
The report “The Marriage Crisis”, states “U.Va. Psychology professor Robert Emery says that, in the past, people thought of marriage as “more of a businesslike relationship.” Women often received financial support from their husbands and women often provided household and child-rearing labor. Marriage rates fell and divorce rates rose when people started thinking less with their wallets and more with their hearts.” So from what I took from it was that back in the day marriage was not about love at all but what you brought to the table to benefit each other. Nowadays less people are getting married because they’re looking for love instead of just what they can benefit from another person. (The Marriage Crisis)
Another statement from the report “. A happy couple who married in 1960 would likely stay married, even without the reinforcement of economic disparity between men and women.” I believe this report is trying to state that they are more old fashion and probably don’t believe in divorce. Also another statement is “If you are college educated, you are much more likely to be in a long-lasting, stable, happy marriage, and much less likely to divorce. Between the ’70s and the ’90s, the divorce rate among the college educated fell from 15 to 11 percent. In contrast, the divorce rate among those with only a high school education rose from 36 to 37 percent.” I view this comment as the less education you are less likely you are to be mature enough to handle marriage. (The Marriage Crisis)
To conclude, Marriage had changed a lot recently because of education, birth control and gender equality. Females are now able to take care of themselves and be able to marry who they honestly love. In the Middle Ages marriage was about what you bring to the table, reputation, and less about who you love. In Modern American Society, marriage happening as often as it was back then because the world is changing, it’s not just about reputation and wealth but more about what you feel inn your heart. In my book that is a step up in society.