Exploring Romance and Chivalry in The Miller’s Tale and the Wife of Bath’s Tale: A Comparative Analysis of Two Canterbury Tales

Assignment Instructions:

For this discussion, look for aspects of the tales that exemplify romance or places in the text where the poet seems to be commenting on the ideals of chivalry or courtly love. Can The Miller’s Tale and the Wife of Bath’s Tale be compared in terms of their treatment of these themes? What do these tales say about the genre of romance itself?

How To Work On This Assignment(Example Draft/Essay)

In Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, two stories, The Miller’s Tale and the Wife of Bath’s Tale, offer a unique perspective on the genre of romance and the ideals of chivalry and courtly love. Both tales provide a contrast to the traditional tales of knights and their fair maidens. Instead, they showcase the complexities and flaws of human nature and challenge the notion of what it means to be a “hero” in romance.

In The Miller’s Tale, the poet challenges the ideals of chivalry and courtly love by creating characters who defy the traditional expectations of these roles. The protagonist, John, is depicted as a foolish, gullible man who is easily deceived by his wife and the deceitful Nicholas. Meanwhile, Alison, John’s wife, is portrayed as a seductive woman who manipulates the men around her to achieve her own desires. By subverting the traditional roles of the hero and the damsel in distress, the poet highlights the flaws and limitations of the ideals of courtly love and chivalry.

Similarly, in the Wife of Bath’s Tale, the poet challenges the notion of what it means to be a “hero” in romance. The protagonist, a knight, is punished for his crime of rape and is sent on a quest to find the answer to what women truly desire. He eventually discovers that women desire sovereignty in marriage, rather than being subservient to their husbands. By challenging the traditional power dynamics between men and women in romance, the poet offers a critique of the ideals of chivalry and courtly love.

Despite their differences, The Miller’s Tale and the Wife of Bath’s Tale share a common theme in their treatment of romance. Both tales reject the idealized, fantastical version of romance and instead showcase the complexities and flaws of human relationships. The poets challenge the traditional roles and power dynamics between men and women, and highlight the limitations of the ideals of chivalry and courtly love.

In conclusion, The Miller’s Tale and the Wife of Bath’s Tale provide a unique perspective on the genre of romance and the ideals of chivalry and courtly love. By subverting traditional roles and power dynamics, the poets showcase the complexities and flaws of human relationships and challenge the idealized version of romance. Ultimately, these tales offer a critique of the genre of romance itself, suggesting that true love is more nuanced and complex than the traditional tales of knights and their fair maidens.