Analysis Of Sovereignty In Susanne Sara Thomas 'The Wife Of Bath's Tale'
Mimi Lee
Ms. Walsh
English III honors
15th November 2015 Interpreting literature has been a contentious issue for decades. Depending on the perspective and point of view , literature can be understood in various ways. In Susanne Sara Thomas’s The Problem Of Defining Sovereynetee In The Wife Of Bath’s Tale, sovereignty is defined in a concrete manner. She defines sovereignty by juxtaposing the Knight’s and Wfy’s actions and as a reader , I agree with her thoughts about sovereignty. Although sovereignty is nowadays simply stated as supreme authority, I ,along with Susanna Sara Thomas, believe sovereignty should be defined as self control and independence.
In Susanne Sara Thomas’s The Problem Of Defining Sovereynetee In The Wife Of Bath’s Tale, …show more content…
Depending on what the focus is, sovereignty can be understood in different ways as exemplified by the Knight, Queen and Wyf. As Thomas stated above, the knight doesn’t have sovereignty over women and even if he does, it is ephemeral. Especially when he says, “I put me in youre wise governane”( Lines 1236). In this scene, he allows her to make the decision and obeys her orders when she tries to bargain her marriage with the answer to his quest. Although the wife promised complete authority to her husband , when “ she obeyed hym in every thyng that myghte dooon hym plesance or likyng”, the fact that she was the one who saved his life , automatically places him to a lower position (Lines 1255). Despite what the knight may think, in this case, the old wfy will end up having more authority than him. Furthermore, woman possessing great power over men can be viewed when the king asks the queen for her opinion. As Thomas underscored above, the Kings gave the Queen the power of life and death over the knight, which shows how ownership of the knights’ body and authority now belongs to the queen. It is clear that Chaucer wanted to imply that men and women both have sovereynetee. However the one who has “sovereynetee” changes through out the tale, thus making it hard to clearly define what “sovereynetee” truly is.
Although “sovereynetee” nowadays is explained as supreme power, the true essence of it lies in the method of exercising the authority. As exemplified by both the queen and the Wyf, sovereignty isn’t a naturally innate right, but an acquired authority. Depending on one’s ability and interpretation, sovereignty can be defined in several ways . However for Chaucer’s tale, I agree with Susana Thomas that sovereignty should be defined as independence and self
Ms. Walsh
English III honors
15th November 2015 Interpreting literature has been a contentious issue for decades. Depending on the perspective and point of view , literature can be understood in various ways. In Susanne Sara Thomas’s The Problem Of Defining Sovereynetee In The Wife Of Bath’s Tale, sovereignty is defined in a concrete manner. She defines sovereignty by juxtaposing the Knight’s and Wfy’s actions and as a reader , I agree with her thoughts about sovereignty. Although sovereignty is nowadays simply stated as supreme authority, I ,along with Susanna Sara Thomas, believe sovereignty should be defined as self control and independence.
In Susanne Sara Thomas’s The Problem Of Defining Sovereynetee In The Wife Of Bath’s Tale, …show more content…
Depending on what the focus is, sovereignty can be understood in different ways as exemplified by the Knight, Queen and Wyf. As Thomas stated above, the knight doesn’t have sovereignty over women and even if he does, it is ephemeral. Especially when he says, “I put me in youre wise governane”( Lines 1236). In this scene, he allows her to make the decision and obeys her orders when she tries to bargain her marriage with the answer to his quest. Although the wife promised complete authority to her husband , when “ she obeyed hym in every thyng that myghte dooon hym plesance or likyng”, the fact that she was the one who saved his life , automatically places him to a lower position (Lines 1255). Despite what the knight may think, in this case, the old wfy will end up having more authority than him. Furthermore, woman possessing great power over men can be viewed when the king asks the queen for her opinion. As Thomas underscored above, the Kings gave the Queen the power of life and death over the knight, which shows how ownership of the knights’ body and authority now belongs to the queen. It is clear that Chaucer wanted to imply that men and women both have sovereynetee. However the one who has “sovereynetee” changes through out the tale, thus making it hard to clearly define what “sovereynetee” truly is.
Although “sovereynetee” nowadays is explained as supreme power, the true essence of it lies in the method of exercising the authority. As exemplified by both the queen and the Wyf, sovereignty isn’t a naturally innate right, but an acquired authority. Depending on one’s ability and interpretation, sovereignty can be defined in several ways . However for Chaucer’s tale, I agree with Susana Thomas that sovereignty should be defined as independence and self