The Shipman's Tale Analysis

In both texts, “The Jew of Malta” by Christopher Marlowe and “The Shipman’s Tale” by Geoffrey Chaucer women are presented as accessory characters who are at the disposal of the male protagonist. To a medieval reader the restrictions women were succumbed to when it came to participating in political, economical, and social affairs may have been normal, yet to a contemporary reader, their treatment and participation in literature is essential to understanding their place. While the role of a woman is limited, it is important to closely analyze if they are described as traditional and obedient or are they defiant. The representation of women in both the works of Marlowe and Chaucer have been recognized by scholars as positive. Ann Beskin argues
When Barabas asked his daughter to fake being a nun, in order to retrieve his wealth. He was completely careless of what would become of her for committing such deed. In fact, Barabas as a Jewish man used his authority over his daughter by asserting the Jewish belief, “[t]o honor father and mother “ (Ex. 20:12). Thus, Abigail’s duty forced her to submit to her father's wishes, which inevitably forced her to go against her piousness and deceive Jacomo, Barnardine and the Abbess. While one can argue that it was her choice to be obedient, the consequences for not being obedient are far more dangerous. When Abigail realizes that her father was the man behind the tragic death of Mathias her love, she decides that she will give her soul and body to God. This is seen when she states, “ [t]hen were my thoughts so frail and unconfirmed/ As I was chained to follies of the world,/ But now experience, purchased with grief,/ Has made me see the difference of things./My sinful, alas, hath paced too long/ The fatal labyrinth of misbelief,/…My duty waits you”(30-31). The above quote shows that Abigail understands that she was blindly following her father’s commands, which pushed her to commit sins. Moreover, when Abigail states, “my duty waits you”, she is able to show that for the first time she decides over her body. However, the first time Abigail shows signs of agency, she is immediately stopped. When her father realizes that she has chosen to become a real Nun, he decides to poison her, thus taking her life. In this scenario, the text suggests that women who desire to assert their power over their life’s, encounter unfortunate consequences.Moreover, Abigail loses because her body benefited her father and it symbolically did not belong to her. Although physically her body was rightfully hers,