Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on Wife of Bath’s Tale and Wedding of Sir Gawain. Have the paper e-mailed to you 24/7/365.
Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 5 page essay that contrasts the “Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale” and “The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell,” which is “one of the most popular stories of late medieval England” (Hahn). Both tales concern a “loathly lady” who transforms into a beautiful, young woman when her husband grants her sovereignty over him. However, despite similarities, Chaucer’s tale is quite different in that it conveys a distinctly feminine tone that reflects his detailed characterization of the story’s narrator, i.e., the Wife of Bath, and Chaucer also includes details pertaining to that characterization that reflect the sociopolitical culture of the fourteenth century. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Page Count:
5 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khwobgar.rtf
Buy This Term Paper »
Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
and Tale." Its plot mirrors that of an older story, "The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell," which is "one of the most popular stories of late medieval
England" (Hahn). Both tales concern a "loathly lady" who transforms into a beautiful, young woman when her husband grants her sovereignty over him. However, despite similarities, Chaucers tale is quite
different in that it conveys a distinctly feminine tone that reflects his detailed characterization of the storys narrator, i.e., the Wife of Bath, and Chaucer also includes details pertaining to
that characterization that reflect the sociopolitical culture of the fourteenth century. The precise origin of the "Ragnell" story and its author are unknown. However, it is known that the
story "served for the plot of an interlude performed at one of Edward Is Round Tables in 1299" (Hahn). The gender of the narrator for "Ragnell" is not stated
overtly, but the focus is clearly masculine. While the loathly lady provides a connecting device between the male actors in the tale, her purpose is to showcase the "ties of
chivalry" that exist between the men, rather than provide a new or different interpretation of marriage (Hahn). The connection to Ragnell "becomes the nexus that ties them (the male characters)
together and makes possible the fraternal and hierarchic bonds of chivalric solidarity" (Hahn). This contrasts sharply with the focus in Chaucers Tale as the focus of the Wife is not
on chivalry, but rather on the feminine viewpoint. This fact is exemplified in the differences between the two stories. "Ragnell" begins with King Arthur on a deer hunt, which
inadvertently strays onto the property of Sir Gromer Somer Joure, a holds a grudge against the king. Arthur is unarmed and defenseless and has transgressed against Joure, who asserts his
...