Wives

Wives

1. He only sees what a wife can do for him- and doesn't recognise anywhere any duties he has to her. He builds her up to be so obedient and perfect in her duties she is almost superhuman- foreshadowing how january wll inevitbly be let down. Links to the image of Girselda in the Clerks tale.

   • ‘buxom’ Who is so trewe…sik and hool..nat forsake’ 'woman is for mannes help'
     • ironic as he talks of being true when May cheats on him. Sees wife as someone who is so attentive – promises to care for her husband. he talks in length of these god-like and pious qualities but when it comes down to choosing his bride his attentions ar anywhere other than her character
   • ‘Jacob… Rebekke… Judith…Goddes peple Kept’ Seduced the enemies hero and slaughtered him in his sleep ‘Abigail…saved hir husband Nabal’ ‘Ester.. good conseil.. peple pf God’
     • J+R-Made her younger son inherit by trickjing her husband J-Seduced the enemies hero and slaughtered him in his sleep A+N-using persuasion and humbleness saved he husband from deserved [unishment despite his pride''nis no thing in gree… above an humble wyf' uses extreme and legendary example to portray this. -All the above women aren resourceful and successful, but also deceitful and all lie in some way or another – Both have dbifferent ways of interpretation- The merchants hatred of marriage and treatment from his wife, By offering evidence to support his premise- the narrator parodies the technique of medevil preaching. Perhaps again his is the merchants way of showing his dis
   • 'mannes helpe and his confort;/ His paradis terrestre, and his disport'
     • His earthly paradise-sex- ndhis pleasure- Women only used ot pleasure men- nothing in it for men no companionship- and they were not seen as equals. A patriarchal admiation of what women can gve him.
     • Repetition of 'help' THREE times emphasises the heavily sustained ironic tone. Idea Women are suppose to help men. Throughougth this section in describing a wife, a sense of duality is ainatined and Chaucer uses ambiguous lexis and phrases to maintain the satirical and heavily ironic tone- and the clashing to theMerchants experiences compared o January’s foolish innocence.
   • sHE seith NAT ONES 'nay' When he seith 'ye ‘Do this seith he; ‘Al redy sire’ seith he’'
     • Disagrees with him this idyllic seeming marriage shows the wife to a passive- subservient and weak being- The Merchant's view is entirely opposite to this – and so we know this is Chaucer building January up to be a fool using a heavily ironic tone. She can never say no. -Repetition of ‘seith’- makes it sound farcical – sarcastic tone- deeper meaning- mocking women.

2. Seemingly spoken by them merchant- his plain tone signals the prurience of a closed mind- which although elsewhere can be delicia- chooses not to be on the subject of sexual relations.

   • ‘suffre thy wives tonge’
     • Idea that women are still commanding and men will have to uffer but you must love them anywY- idea men do not do stuff wrong just tolerate. – indictes again tones of the merchant.
   • Goddes yifte... Alle othere manere yiftes of Fortune/ That passen as a shadwe upon a wal'
     • Detailed list of property and wealth represent the things that the merchant values and how he values material goods. By comparing them in a similie to a shadow- represents darkness. Objectifying women. Or By portraing fortune as a giver of gifts which have no true meaning, He suggests hat there is a separation between meaningless gifts from fortune and blessings which are gifts from god. And so gives omen a spiritually high value. But a Value nonetheless. By implication he equates his wife to material possessions.
     • Fortune is personified- as it was a prominent concept in medieval philosophy. Te wheel belonged to the goddess of Fortuna- spins it at random changing the position of those on the wheel. –Wy of control- as reminder that bad luck comes to us whe we are mortal bu not in heavan.. she is blindfolded inmost pictures- no bas—January also goes blind.
   • 'bely naked'
     • idea Adam was 'al allone' he was naked representing his innocence and vulnerability- suggesting Eve was his coruption. Ironic to use this example as Eve seemingly hinderd ADam- greatet evidence women were corrupt and greatest excuse for treatment of them.. Suggests to believe women are as January says we must have not experienced the fall of mnkind yet- and so it is a oprsessive ideology. After Eve's behavior it is clear women would always corrupt men
   • ‘How mighte a man han any adversitee/ That hath a wtf?’
     • Rhetorical question- Idea that the question is so obvious it doesn’t need an answer – both ways- in January’s innocence or in the Merchant’s sarcasm. He promises at the beginning of the novel not to bring his own experiences into the story but this shows he indirectly does- he cannot help himself.
   • ‘the blisse which that is bitwixe hem tweye/There be no tonge telle' ‘Upon his bare knees oughte al his lyf’
     • no-one can tell it because it is so goo- or because it doesn’t exist.  Idea of begging/ praying for mercy- more of image than thanking god.

3. Januarie's visions and desires of a wife are also extremely concerning. he only really cares about her looks though he claims it is her personality something we see in the passage and when he is choosing her.

   • 'She Shall not passe twenty yeer' ’as men may warm wex with hands plye
     • He wants young wife only 'fair and tendre' He has a lot of picky and demnading expectations. Again further dehumanisation- Ironic and foreshadowing- as May uses wax to mould a key for Damien.
   • Oold fissh and yong flesh'
     • Very vulgar imagery links to his vulgar nature. As if he is a preadator- Animal imagery- adds to his lack of brain and honour- hardly reflects the 'honey-sweet' quiet he said he wanted above.. 'young flezh' shows a disturbing insight into his fantasies.
   • womman thritty yeer of age/ It is but bene-straw and greet forage'
     • ‘For sondry soles maken soltile clerkis’ Proverb that many schools make a clever sholar0 idea that women who have experienced marriage are too clever at managing their husbands- links to Wife of bath’s tale – and how she manipulates her husbands.
     • He dismises older women as unnacceptable and presents them as equivalent to leftovers of the harvest - useful only as food for bedding animals.
   • ‘I wil noon oold wyf..For if so were I adde swich mischaunce..Koude han no pleasance…avoutrye
     • Helinks age with lack of sexual ddesire but fails to see his wife will feel the same. Only thinks for himself- preparing him to be not only a typicl but deserving cukold. Doesn’t wan to go ‘streight to the devel’ picks and chooses which sins he does- stupid.
   • 'His fresshe May, his paradis, his make'
     • repetition of personal pronoun 'his'- again emphasises her objectification and patriarchl mentality of hiim owning her

4. January's violent fantasies about May emphasises How Januarie Only sees her as an object for his sexual pleasure- and is very representative as attitudes to not just women at the time, but expectations of wives and what their worth.

   • traunce... manace .. dtreyne .. 'Harder' keene' 'corage'
     • use of sexual desire-'' and 'eager' words to desribe his hash and violent fantasises are an effective use of imagery.
   • 'I am agast ye shul it nat susteene'
     • Idea he does not think Ay will sustain his sexual fantasises- he is old but his desire for sexual pleasure seems to hav amplified- emhsises a young wife was only for her exual appeal- and disreputes all the references to her good character he gave when thinking about marrying her.
   • I wolde that al this pepl were ago'
     • Wants all people to go so he can e with may and fulfill his sexual desire- It is not enough that they have promised themselves to each other for the rest of their lives- SHows Januries lack of patience and the temperemenal nature of his desires. Wants everything exactly when he wants it- childlike nature.