Warning: Use of undefined constant referer - assumed 'referer' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 102

Warning: Use of undefined constant host - assumed 'host' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 105

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 106

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 109
Marriage In The Canterburry Ta - Paper

Marriage In The Canterburry Ta


Marriage is an institution viewed upon in many different ways. Some people believe it is a holy union of two people in order to reproduce. On the other hand, there are those who look at it as a social contract which often binds two people that are not necessarily right for each other. In Geoffrey Chaucher's The Canterbury Tales, the view taken is that of the former. Chaucher looks at marriage as an obligation that is almost always dominated by one of its two members, as view proven in the Miller's Tale, the Shipman's Tale, the Merchant's Tale, and the Wife of Bath’s Tale.
The "Shipman's Tale" exemplifies the sarcastic view of marriage taken by Chaucer. Here, his wife along with ...

Want to read the rest of this paper?
Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay
and over 50,000 other term papers

leaves his wife alone in their home, along with the monk. With the merchant never once questioning their honor, the wife and the monk take advantage of his leave in order to consummate their relationship. Although later the wife almost gets caught, ultimately her husband never learns that his wife has lied in anyone's "arms all night" (Chaucer, 165) that weren't his and the merchant is seen as a blind fool. The relationships in this tale are all defined, at least in part, in terms of finances:
“The wife defines her relationship with her husband at the beginning in terms of his niggardliness, and offers her body at the end in repayment of the hundred francs; she offers herself to Daun John in return for money”(Cooper, 281).
The selling of one’s own body does not seem to be very important within the context of this tale. Instead, it is perceived as another way of making money. This can be seen because, “The merchant is not jealous; he gives his wife ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays.
Write better papers. Get better grades.


Already a member? Login

he can not see that he has lost his power in the relationship. Though he tries to remain dominant by forcing May to stay by his side, she is eventually able to cheat on him and get away with it. Because of his loss of sight, he becomes extremely worried that his wife might cuckold him, so he forces her to remain with him all the time. Nevertheless, she soon gets upset at her husband's jealousy and decides to have an affair with the young and handsome Damian. She concocts a plan whereby she would be able to embrace her lover while within reach of her husband. Once the plan finally unfolds and May is in Damian's arm, December suddenly regains his vision. The first thing he sees is ...

Succeed in your coursework without stepping into a library.
Get access to a growing library of notes, book reports,
and research papers in 2 minutes or less.


CITE THIS PAGE:

Marriage In The Canterburry Ta. (2005, October 17). Retrieved March 29, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Marriage-In-The-Canterburry-Ta/34992
"Marriage In The Canterburry Ta." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 17 Oct. 2005. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Marriage-In-The-Canterburry-Ta/34992>
"Marriage In The Canterburry Ta." Essayworld.com. October 17, 2005. Accessed March 29, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Marriage-In-The-Canterburry-Ta/34992.
"Marriage In The Canterburry Ta." Essayworld.com. October 17, 2005. Accessed March 29, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Marriage-In-The-Canterburry-Ta/34992.
JOIN NOW
Join today and get instant access to this and 50,000+ other essays


PAPER DETAILS
Added: 10/17/2005 02:36:12 AM
Category: English
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 1654
Pages: 7

Save | Report

SHARE THIS PAPER

SAVED ESSAYS
Save and find your favorite essays easier

SIMILAR ESSAYS
» Candide: A Satire On The Enligh...
» Main Theme of The Fall of the H...
» Huck Finn 3
» International Business Environm...
» Creative Writing: The Missed Fl...
» A Rose For Emily By William Fau...
» Rosa Parks
» Playing With The Younger: Emoti...
» Carol Causs
» Forest Management
Copyright | Cancel | Contact Us

Copyright © 2024 Essayworld. All rights reserved