Chaucer's Impression Of Women Of Medieval Times

CHAUCER'S IMPRESSION OF WOMEN OF MEDIEVAL TIMES

Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales in the late 1400s. By conceiving the idea of a pilgrimage to Canterbury in which each character strives to tell the best story, Chaucer cleverly reveals a particular social condition of England during the time. In this time period, the status, role, and attitudes towards women was clearly different from that of today. Two tales in Chaucer's collection specifically address this subject: the Miller's tale and the Reeve's tale. The interplay between the tales and characters further enhances the similar viewpoints these stories have towards women.

In the Middle Ages, most women married and began raising children soon after reaching puberty. They remained largely indoors, having no true chance to receive a formal education or to hold economic or social power. Husbands commonly had full control of their wives, often limiting their public lives to solely the family; "a wife . . . must please her husband and be totally obedient to him, even when he is unjust and violent"(Blewitt 662). In both the Miller's and Reeve's tales Chaucer thus presents the women of the household indoors in all instances. Alison of the Miller's tale lives in a cottage alone with her husband John and Fly Nicholas, a scholar. Her implied role besides sexual purposes includes tending to house chores, just as the miller's wife and daughter in the Reeve's tale. The woman's sole purpose as a wife, though, comes naturally as one of sexual purposes. In Chaucer's time, ". . . a wife's first duty was to provide her husband with a heir, and she could be divorced if she were barren"(Rhinesmith 601). The wife must be good to her husband and obey him, even when he may commit unfavorable actions such as affairs.

With this knowledge of women's duties in medieval times, Chaucer in these two tales brings about the ideas of protection and immorality. With men often leaving the house to tend to their own chores, the women of the house have plenty of chances to "play around" with other men without their husbands knowing. John, the carpenter in the Miller's tale, constantly worries about his eighteen year-old wife, Alison. "Jealous he was," the Miller tells us, "and he kept her closely caged, for she was wild and young, and he was old, and thought she would likely make him a cuckold." This protection of the woman of the home parallels that of the Reeve's tale, in which Simon the miller protects his wife and daughter, Molly, when he finds the mischievous Alan and John have slept with them. "'By holy God I'll have your tripes for daring to dishonour my daughter. . .,'" Simon exclaims. Full of rage, he attacks Alan as to sustain his protection for his women..

Immorality is discussed in the Miller's and Reeve's tales in the sense that the women of both tales have no true sense of integrity. Both John and Simon exhibit some level of restraint over Alison, Molly, and the miller's wife, for "restraint is recommended (for women) in regard to sexual behavior"(Blewitt 662). Fly Nicholas, who pays rent to stay with John and Alison, finds that John frequently leaves the house for many days as part of his job. Nicholas stands as the sliest character in both tales, knowing all of love, sexual pursuits, and astrology. He approaches Alison one day and grabs her cunt, and after little resistance, Alison accepts the sexual pass. Alison than readily engages in sex with Nicholas, being assured that John will not find out. She finds Nicholas young and attractive, and approves of his sly plan to deceive John, stopping not once to think of the anguish she will soon cause her faithful and loving husband. Another such offense comes about when Alison openly sticks her "romp" out the window for Absolom to kiss. Her overall character seems as one which has no shame.

To the same extent, the

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