Wife Of Bath Exemplary Clinton Character Analysis
When asked to compare Geoffrey Chaucer's "Wife of Bath" character with either Madonna, Oprah, or Hilary Clinton, it's obvious that Madonna stands out as almost a duplicate of her. Everything about the two could be lined up side by side, and we wouldn't be able to guess which is which. Although the rights, power, and even image of women has changed over the years, we will always have the bold ones that stand out in any era.
What do the Wife of Bath and Madonna have in common? In short, both can be construed as "selling" their sexuality for riches and position. I don't believe that Chaucer meant for the gap–toothed, sensual Wife of Bath to be thought of as a manipulative whore, even if she does “sell” her sex to her husband for land and other riches. She is an early feminist, defying centuries of literature that pronounced women as property and submission as their role. She refuses to submit her mind or her body unwillingly, and claims her own right to sexual pleasure. "Tell me this also: why at …show more content…
our creation/ Were organs given us for generation?" It’s hard to imagine what Chaucer’s readers must have thought about her in that time. I'm sure it was much like the response that Madonna got from audiences when "Like a Virgin," and "Material Girl," came out. She is the ultimate example of a woman who has used her sexuality to further herself with money and fame. She rose to fame in the 1980s partly because of her acknowledgment and openness of her sexuality. When she realized that "sex sells," she started pushing the limits even more. She became more than willing to market her body, even in erotic publications showing sexually explicit photos of herself and others.
Unlike the Wife of Bath, Madonna has not had five husbands. She has had MANY public boyfriends/lovers, but she has only married twice. This only shows the difference in the times though. Nowadays, women can become filthy rich on their own. They don't have to look for a man to take care of them financially as in the past. Madonna was probably in love, or at least thought she was, which is why she married them. I highly doubt it was for money - although, they could have been looking to her as a "Sugar Mama!" Ha! My, how times have changed!
Of course, we have not come so far from Chaucer’s time to our own.
Women still marry for money and men still marry for sex. While there are many women in our country, like Oprah and Hilary Clinton, who attained power through hard work and intelligence, there are many who, like the Wife of Bath before them, and Madonna, used their sexuality to further their own prospects. As a successful performer and media icon, Madonna has been referred to as a "True Feminist," by gender critic Camille Paglia. "She has taught young women to be fully female and sexual while still exercising control over their lives.” Again, this mirrors the control the Wife of Bath has over everything she does. It has also by said, by Bitish pop star Morrissey, that, “Madonna reinforces everything absurd and offensive. Madonna is closer to organized prostitution than anything else,” which is unltimately what pops into the majority of people's heads when reading about the Wife of
Bath.
Modern readers may have mixed responses to the Wife of Bath: On the one hand, we admire her spirited defense of women and her shrewd ability to attain power in a patriarchal culture. On the other hand, we are uncomfortable with a woman who derives her power from exploiting her sexuality. This holds true for women now as well. We all know and love at least one Madonna song,even though we may not agree with everything that she does. We respect her hard work and power over her own life, but we're not sure of how to deal with her sexual prowess in her songs and videos. The Wife of Bath will always call up a mixture of admiration and disapproval from some readers, just as more modern women - from Mae West to Madonna - have done over the years.
What do the Wife of Bath and Madonna have in common? In short, both can be construed as "selling" their sexuality for riches and position. I don't believe that Chaucer meant for the gap–toothed, sensual Wife of Bath to be thought of as a manipulative whore, even if she does “sell” her sex to her husband for land and other riches. She is an early feminist, defying centuries of literature that pronounced women as property and submission as their role. She refuses to submit her mind or her body unwillingly, and claims her own right to sexual pleasure. "Tell me this also: why at …show more content…
our creation/ Were organs given us for generation?" It’s hard to imagine what Chaucer’s readers must have thought about her in that time. I'm sure it was much like the response that Madonna got from audiences when "Like a Virgin," and "Material Girl," came out. She is the ultimate example of a woman who has used her sexuality to further herself with money and fame. She rose to fame in the 1980s partly because of her acknowledgment and openness of her sexuality. When she realized that "sex sells," she started pushing the limits even more. She became more than willing to market her body, even in erotic publications showing sexually explicit photos of herself and others.
Unlike the Wife of Bath, Madonna has not had five husbands. She has had MANY public boyfriends/lovers, but she has only married twice. This only shows the difference in the times though. Nowadays, women can become filthy rich on their own. They don't have to look for a man to take care of them financially as in the past. Madonna was probably in love, or at least thought she was, which is why she married them. I highly doubt it was for money - although, they could have been looking to her as a "Sugar Mama!" Ha! My, how times have changed!
Of course, we have not come so far from Chaucer’s time to our own.
Women still marry for money and men still marry for sex. While there are many women in our country, like Oprah and Hilary Clinton, who attained power through hard work and intelligence, there are many who, like the Wife of Bath before them, and Madonna, used their sexuality to further their own prospects. As a successful performer and media icon, Madonna has been referred to as a "True Feminist," by gender critic Camille Paglia. "She has taught young women to be fully female and sexual while still exercising control over their lives.” Again, this mirrors the control the Wife of Bath has over everything she does. It has also by said, by Bitish pop star Morrissey, that, “Madonna reinforces everything absurd and offensive. Madonna is closer to organized prostitution than anything else,” which is unltimately what pops into the majority of people's heads when reading about the Wife of
Bath.
Modern readers may have mixed responses to the Wife of Bath: On the one hand, we admire her spirited defense of women and her shrewd ability to attain power in a patriarchal culture. On the other hand, we are uncomfortable with a woman who derives her power from exploiting her sexuality. This holds true for women now as well. We all know and love at least one Madonna song,even though we may not agree with everything that she does. We respect her hard work and power over her own life, but we're not sure of how to deal with her sexual prowess in her songs and videos. The Wife of Bath will always call up a mixture of admiration and disapproval from some readers, just as more modern women - from Mae West to Madonna - have done over the years.