Canterbury

Done
Read The Wife of Bath
Chaucer
Chaucer 2

1. Define the following and give an example of each or use in a sentence.
1.Quest- a search or pursuit made in order to find or obtain something
I went on a quest to find my cell phone.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Quest
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2.Mead- 1.an alcoholic liquor made by fermenting honey and water.
2. any of various nonalcoholic beverages.

My sister drank the mead as though she hadn't drunk in days.
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3.Incubus- 1.an imaginary demon or evil spirit supposed to descend upon sleeping persons, esp. one fabled to have sexual intercourse with women during their sleep. Compare succubus ( def. 1 ) .
2. a nightmare.
3. something that weighs upon or oppresses one like a nightmare.

Example sentence: The incubus was feared by the women in town.
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4.Cosseted- to coddle, pamper, pet
Example Sentence: I cosseted my dog.
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5.Midas–noun
1. Classical Mythology . a Phrygian king, son of Gordius, who was given by Dionysus the power of turning whatever he touched into gold.
2. a person of great wealth or great moneymaking ability.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Midas
Example sentence: I inspire to become like how Midas once was.
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6.Sedge–noun
1. any rushlike or grasslike plant of the genus Carex, growing in wet places. Compare sedge family.
2. any plant of the sedge family.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Sedge
Example Sentence: I saw some sedge growing near the creek.
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7.Bittern–noun
1. any of several tawny brown herons (bird) that inhabit reedy marshes, as Botaurus lentiginosus (American bittern), of North America, and B. stellaris, of Europe.
2. any of several small herons of the genus Ixobrychus, as I. exilis (least bittern), of temperate and tropical North and South America.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bittern
Example Sentence: The bittern was persistent in it's quest for a meal.
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8.Behest–noun
1. a command or directive.
2. an earnest or strongly worded request.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Behest

Example sentence: I detest the behest my sister read to me.
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9.Churl
–noun
1. a rude, boorish, or surly person.
2. a peasant; rustic.
3. a niggard; miser
4. English History . a freeman of the lowest rank.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Churl
Example Sentence: He was a churl in his affections.
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10.Sot- a drunkard
Example sentence: My sister is a sot and visits many bars every night.
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1.What were the knight’s crime, his original sentence, and his second sentence?
The knight's crime was raping a girl. At first, he was sentenced to death. However, the Queen gave him a second sentence and that was to find out what women wanted most in life and to return in a year with his answer.
2.What bargain do the knight and the old woman strike?
If the old woman tells him what woman desires most, he has to grant her one favor.
3.What payment for her help does the old woman demand, and what is the knight’s response?
The old woman demands he marry her. The knight is disgusted and bluntly refuses, but is forced.
4.What final choice does the old woman offer the knight at the end of the tale? What is his response?
The old woman gave him a decision: he could either take her as she is, old and ugly, but faithful or take her as a pretty young woman who will likely cheat. His response was that she could have complete power, as she is, and it was her decision whether or not she wanted to change herself.
5.What did you think of the Wife of Bath’s opinion about what women want most? If she were asked what men want most, how do you suppose she would respond?
I think the Wife of Bath is basing her opinion on what women want most by what she wants most, although I do agree with her. If she were asked what men want most, the Wife of Bath would say women want power more than anything, because power is everything.
6.Explain the irony of the knight’s quest to find out what women want.
The irony of the knight's quest to find out what women want most is that they all have different answers to what they want and so his quest is fruitless. Another thing I thought was ironic about is that women want power most of all and that is the very thing he took away from the girl he raped.
7.The knight moans about having the old woman for his wife. How does she respond to each objection he raises? Begin lines 276-278.
She explains that she may not be financially wealthy but true wealth is determined on a person's character. She also tells the knight that her age should earn his respect, not disgust and her ugliness will save him from cuckoldry.
8.How does the knight’s response to the choice given him by the old woman show that he’s learned his lesson about what women want?
The fact that he, who had alot of pride and dignity in himself, was willing to give the old everything he could, himself included, showed that he learned about what women want. It was clear to the readers that the knight knew what women want most is power and that there would be more benefits if he gave his up to his wife.
9.What opinions does the Wife of Bath express in the tale? What do all her opinions and her tale itself tell you about her character?
The Wife of Bath believes that the value of your wealth is not counted by how much money or stuff you have, but how good of a person you are. It tells me she is not shallow and understands that there is more to life than money. Her other belief she expresses in the tale is that people would be happier if they give over power to women rather than men. I think it says she's very ambitious and can be thought of as a feminist. She also believes that women always desire what is forbidden, and run away from that which is forced upon them. I think this belief of her supports her reasoning in becoming the "Wife of Bath". It was looked down upon to marry more than once and yet she's married five times.

10.How would the Wife of Bath fit into contemporary society? What social trends would she support or reject?
11. Consider the way this story begins and ends.How does the knight get into trouble, and how do things turn out for him?
The knight gets into trouble by raping a woman, or taking her power from her. In the end, he himself surrends his power to a woman.
12.Who is the “Wife of Bath” and her role in the City of Bath?Why is she on the pilgrimage?
She was pretty much the whore of the town. [Wife of Bath = married many in the town of Bath]. She was known to marry the rich, old men and then take their possessions upon their death. She marries many times, is dominant in relationships and forces her husbands to cater to her. She is on the pilgrimage to go to the shrine of Thomas à Beckett in Canterbury.