The representation of gender relations within marriage in Geoffrey Chaucer PDF

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The representation of gender relations within marriage in Geoffrey Chaucer’s ‘The Miller’s Prologue and Tale’ and ‘The Wife of Bath’s Prologue’...

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Th er e p r e s e n t a t i o no fg e n d e rr e l a t i o n swi t h i nma r r i a g ei nGe o ffr e yCh a u c e r ’ s‘ Th eMi l l e r ’ s Pr ol o g u ean dT a l e ’a n d‘ Th eWi f eofBa t h ’ sPr o l o g u e ’i si n t r i c a t e l yb o u ndt oi d e a sr e g a r di n g f e ma l ea g e nc y , i nfid e l i t ya n de q u a l i t y -o rl a c kt h e r e o fi nma r r i a g e . Ch a u c e r ’ su s eo fs t y l i s t i c f e a t ur e s ,s u c ha si r o n y ,r e p e t i t i o na n ds ymb ol i s ma l l o wf o rs u c hi d e a st oflo ur i s h ,c r e a t i n gt wo s a t i r i c a lp i e c e st h a toffe ra ni n s i g ht f u lp e r s p e c t i v eo nt h en a t u r eo fg e n d e rr e l a t i o n swi t h i n ma r r i a g ei nt h e1 4thc e n t u r y .

I nb ot he x t r a c t swome na r er e p r e s e n t e da su n f a i t h f u la ndc u n ni n gi n di v i d u a l s ,i n c a p a bl eo f s e xu a lmo de s t y . Th i sd e p i c t i o no fwo me ni sh i g h l i g htb yCh a u c e r ’ su s eo fe x t e n d e di r o n yi n ‘ Th eMi l l e r ’ sT a l e ’. Whi l s tp l o t t i n ga g a i ns th e rh u s b a n d , Al i s onc l a i mst h a ts h ei sh i s‘ t r e we 1 v e r r a ywe dd e dwi f ’ , a n dd i r e c t sh i mt o‘ s a v eo ur el i f . ’Th eu s eo f‘ t r e we ’a nd‘ v e r r a y ’a r e

wh o l l yi r o n i ca ss h ei s . En g a g e di nac l a n de s t i n ea ffa i rwi t hNi c ho l a s , t h er h ymi n gc o u p l e t ‘ wi f ’a n d‘ l i f ’o n l ys e r v et of u r t h e re mp h a s i s et hi si r o n y , b e c a u s es h ei su n de r c u t t i n gwh a ti s s u p p o s e dt ob eal i f el o n gh o l yc o mmu n i o n . Si mi l a r l y , i n‘ Th eWi f eo fBa t h ’ sPr o l o g u e ’ Ch a u c e rp r e s e n t swome na sa d u l t e r o u sb e i n g s , p r i ma r i l yt hr o u g hmu l t i pl er e f e r e n c e st oa n t i f e mi ni s tt e x t s . Th ewi f en a r r a t e st h a th e rh u s b a n dwo u l dl o okt ov a r i o u sp r o v e r b si n s t r uc t i n g t h a t‘ ma ns h a ln a ts u ffe rh i swi fg or o u l ea b ou t e ’a n dwh o me v e ra l l o wsh i swi f et og o‘ s e e k e n h a l we , i swo r t h yt obeh a n g e d2. ’He r e , t her h e t o r i ca n dt o n es ur r ou n d i n gme na n dwo me n ’ s r e l a t i o n si nma r r i a g er e l i e she a v i l yo nt h es u b j u g a t i o no fwo me na n dt h ep r e s e n t a t i o no ft h e m a ss e l fis ha ndc o n n i v i n g . Th eu s eo f‘ r o u l e ’t oc o n v e yt h ei d e at h a two me nd e s i r emu l t i p l e ma l ep a r t n e r si se x t r e me l yh y p oc r i t i c a l , a n ddi s p l a y st h ec l e a rd o u b l es t a n d a r d sp r e v a l e n t t h wi t h i nma r r i a g ei nt h e1 4 c e n t ur y .

1 The Miller’s Prologue and Tale, in The Norton Anthology of English Literature Volume A: The Middle Ages, 9th edn., ed. By Stephen Greenblatt (New York: Norton 2017) pp. 275, 501-502 2 The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale, in The Norton Anthology of English Literature Volume A: The Middle Ages, 9th edn., ed. By Stephen Greenblatt (New York: Norton 2017) pp.297, 659-664

An o t h e ra s p e c ti n t e gr a lt or e p r e s e n t a t i o n so fg e nd e rr e l a t i o n swi t h i nma r r i a g ei ss e c r e c ya n d p r i v a c y . ‘ Th eMi l l e r ’ sTa l e ’I nTh o ma sJ . Fa r r e l l ’ s‘ Pr i v a c ya n dt h ebo u n d a r i e soff a b l i a ui n t h eMi l l e r ’ sT a l e ’h ep r o p o s e st h a tt h et a l e‘ c r e a t e sa n ds u s t a i n sa na t mo s p h e r eofp r i v a c y . ’ Th i si se v i d e n ti nt h ep r e s c r i be de x t r a c t , e s p e c i a l l ywi t ht her e p e a t e du s eo fwo r d ss u c ha s 3 ‘ p r i v e l y ’a n d‘ p r i v e e t e . ’J o h ni ss a i dt ot e l l‘ h i swi f …h i spr i v e t e e ’ b u ta st h ec oa r c hi t e c tof

t h eflo o ds c he mes h ei sc l e a r l ya wa r eo fe v e r y t h i n g . I n s t e a dJ o h n ’ ss e c r e c yi nma r r i a g ei s e s s e n t i a l l yd e s t r o y e d ,a n di ns t e a dNi c h ol a sa n dAl i s o n ’ sr e l a t i o n s h i pbe c o me sd e p e n de n to ni t . Wh e nt h e yp r o c e e dt oc on s u mma t et he i rr e l a t i o ns h i p ,Ni c h o l a sa n dAl i s o na r es a i dt omo v e 4 t o g e t h e r‘ wi t h o u t e nwo r d s …t h e yg o o nt ob e d d e . ’ Th ef a c tt h a tt h e ya r ea bl et of u n c t i o na n d

c o mmu n i c a t ewi t h o u ts p e a ki n gi si n t e gr a lt ot he i rr e l a t i on s h i pa ndh i g h l i gh t st h ei mp o r t a n c e o fs e c r e c ya n dp r i v a c yi nt h et a l ei t s e l f .

Unl i k ei n‘ Th eWi f eofBa t h ’ sp r o l o g u e , ’me ni nt h e‘ Mi l l e r ’ sTa l e ’a r er e p r e s e n t e da sp a t h e t i c a n dwe a ki nc o n t r a s tt ot h e i rf e ma l ec o u n t e r p a r t swh oa r ea b l et oo ut wi tt h e m. I n‘ Th e Mi l l e r ’ sTa l e ’J o hni sr e p e a t e dl yr e f e r r e dt oa sa‘ s e l yc a r p e n t e r ’ . Th eMe di e v a lEn g l i s h Di c t i o n a r yd e fin e s‘ s e l y ’a s‘ wr e t c h e d, u n f o r t u n a t e , mi s e r a bl e ;pi t i t a b l e . ’J o h n ’ si g n o r a n c et o h i swi f e ’ si nfid e l i t ya ndh i sn a ï v i ea t t i t ud et oNi c h o l a sa n dAl i s o n ’ sflo o ds c h e mer e n de r sh i m 5 a s‘ s e l y ’ a ndt h e r e f or eu n wo r t h yama n .Hei sf u r t h e re ma s c ul a t e dwh e nh ei sd e s c r i b e dt o 6 h a v e‘ we e p e t h , wa i l e t h ’a n d‘ s i k e t hwi t hf u lma n yas o r ys wo u g h . ’ Thea l l i t e r a t i v ee mp h a s i s

o nt h e‘ w’a n ds i b i l a nc ewi t h‘ s i k e t h …s o r ys wo u g h ’hi gh l i g h th i smi s e r y , a n dd e pi c t i ona sa fig u r et op i t y . Ca u g htu pi nAl i s o na n dNi c h ol a s ’p l o y , J o h n ’ ss u s t a i n e db e l i e fi nt h eflo o d ma k e sh i sa p pe a rp r o f o u n d l ys t u p i d .TheMi l l e rn a r r a t e sJ oh n ’ sp r e p a r a t i o nf o rt h eflo o da sh e 3 The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale. 275, 495 4 The Miller’s Prologue and Tale. pp. 276. 542 5 6 The Miller’s Prologue and Tale. pp. 275 510-511

7 ‘ dr e s s e da l l et h i n ga si ts h o l deb e ’a sh ep r o c e e d st o‘ s i ta n db i d d e t hh i sp r a y e r e . ’ Wh i l s t

e n g a g i n gi np r a y e r , Al i s o na n dNi c h o l a su s eJ o h n ’ so wnl a d d e rt o‘ g o o nt ob e d d e ’s oi n e s s e n c e , J o h nc o n t r i bu t e sa n da l l o wsh i so wnc uc k ol d i n g . Al t h o u g hJ o h n ’ sa c t i o n sma yi l l i c i t s o mes y mp a t h y , t h en a t u r eo fhi sa c t i o n sa n dhi sbl i n d ne s st ot h et r u t hr e g a r d i n gNoa h ’ sflo od o n l yma k eh i ma p p e a rf e e b l ea n df o o l i s h . ‘ Th eWi f eofBa t h ’ sPr o l o g u e ’o ffe r sad i ffe r e n t p e r s p e c t i v e ,o n ei nwh i c ht h ema l efig u r ei sd o mi n a nta ndo v e r b e a r i n g . Th ewi f eo fb a t h n a r r a t e st h a th e rh u s ba n dr e a d smi s o g yn i s t i cl i t e r a t u r ea saf o r mo fe nt e r t a i n me n t , ‘ f o rh i s 8 d i s po r t . ’Mo r et r o u bl i n gp e r ha p si st h ewi f e ’ sr e c o u n to fhe rh u s ba n dp h y s i c a l l yh i t t i n gh e r , 9 ‘ h es mo o tmes ot h a tIwa sd e a f ’ i nwh i c he v e nh e rd e a f n e s si sac o n s e qu e nc eoft h en e e df o r

p a t r i a r c h a lp o we ra ndc on t r o l .Thi sn ot i oni sr e i t e r a t e df u r t h e rb yt h ewi f e ’ sa s t r o l o g i c a l r e f e r e n c e st oVe nu sa n dMe r c u r y . Th ewi f en o t e st h a t‘ Me r c u r y ei sd e s ol a t e …wh e r eVe n u si s 10 e x a l t a t …a ndVe n usf a l l e t ht h e rMe r c u r y ei sr a i s e d . ’ Thed i c ho t o myb e t we e n‘ de s o l a t e ’a nd

‘ e x a l t a t ’a n d‘ f a l l e t h ’a n d‘ r a i s e d ’s h o wc a s e st h ewi f e ’ sp e r c e p t i o nofme na n dwo me ni n ma r r i a g e .Foro n et od e s c e n d , t heo t h e rh a st or i s eme a n i n go n ei sa l wa y sd omi n a n to v e rt h e o t h e r . The r e f o r e , s t r u c t u r a l l yt h e r ei sn oa c t u a ls e n s eofe q u a l i t yi nma l ea n df e ma l er e l a t i o n s i nma r r i a g e , me na l mo s ta l wa y st a k ep r e c e d e n c eo v e rwo me n .

I nc on c l u s i o n , bo t he x t r a c t spr e s e ntc o mp l e xa n dn ua nc ei d e a sr e g a r d i n gt h er e p r e s e n t a t i o no f g e nd e rr e l a t i o n swi t h i nma r r i a g e . Al t h o u g ht he r ea r ea s p e c t so ff e ma l ea g e n c yi nb o t h, Ch a u c e rh i g h l i g h t st h a tu l t i ma t e l yma l ec o u nt e r p a r t swi l ld o mi na t ema r i t a la ffa i r s .

7 The Miller’s Prologue and Tale. pp.276, 527-533 8 TheWi f eo fBat h ’ sPr o l o g uean dT al e .p p.2 97 ,67 6 9 Th eWi f eofBat h ’ sPr o l o gu ean dT al e .p p.2 97 ,67 6 10 ThomasJFar e l l .“ Pr i v a c ya n dt h eBou nda r i e so fFa b l i a ui nTheMi l l e r ' sTa l e . ”ELH,v o l .56 ,no .4,1 98 9,p p. 7 73 –7 9 5.J STOR,www. j s t o r . o r g/ s t a b l e / 2 87 31 59 ....