Question

Please help! Will receive medal and fan!

Answer 1

The Wife of Bath's Tale

1. Like the Pardoner, the Wife of Bath tells the other pilgrims a tale that expresses an important point she wants to make. In some ways the story is similar to a fairy tale, and it teaches a moral. What elements of the story fit the characteristics of a fairy tale, and what is the point that the Wife of Bath wants to make? Use details from the selection to support your answer.
2. What crime does the knight commit, and what does the queen require of him so that he can save himself from being beheaded?
3. Based on “The Wife of Bath’s Tale,” what is Chaucer’s view of life? Compare and contrast Chaucer’s view with the Wife of Bath’s view of life. Give evidence from the text for the presence of each view of life.
4. How is the old woman changed at the end of the story?
5. What are the knight's reasons for not being able to love his new wife?
6. The Wife of Bath and the old woman agree on what is required for a happy marriage. What do you think makes a happy marriage? Explain your views by writing the advice you would give to a young couple about to be married.
7. What choice does the knight's wife give him?
8. The knight tells the old hag, "You're old, and so abominably plain, / So poor to start with. . . ." What arguments does the old woman use to turn poverty and old age into virtues? Do you think her arguments are convincing?
9. What deal does the knight make with the old woman he meets, and how does he fulfill his bargain with her?