I Still don't Like Him....

 The knight in “the Wife of Bath’s Tale” has been one of the characters that I have found to be the hardest one for me to even imagine liking.

The quote that was discussed in class to show that the knight very well could have learned his lesson is,

            But ate laste he seide in this manere;/

            ‘My lady and my love, and wif so deere,/

I putte me in youre wise governaunce/

Cheseth yourself which maybe moost plesaunce,/

And moost honour to yow and me also./

I do no fors the weither of the two,/

For as yow liketh, it suffiseth me.’ (1228-1235)

I understand how this could show his redemption. The way he describes his wife on different levels as “lady”, “love”, and “wif” shows her in different roles in his life (1229). I understand that it is a change for him to tell her to decide what she wants first, and he will follow. I understand that he is finally, putting her first, above him, in his speech, and has reflected on his response (1228) rather that just responding. It is clear that there is an emotional and moral growth that takes place. However, I do not like him.

To begin with the knight committed a terrible crime, when he raped the woman (889). His crime is terrible, but I believe that the punishment that the queen sentences him to is almost crueler in a way, than being executed, and it is well deserved. He has to search out women to learn about them, a punishment he would find demeaning. I say good. The knight’s actions were monstrous and demeaning to women, shouldn’t he be put in position where he feel humiliated?

When he finally gets the answer to the queen’s question, and the old womea asks that she marries him, he behaves horribly towards her. This woman just saved his life, and he’s going to behave by saying, “‘My love!’ quod he, ‘nay my dampnacioun!’ (1067). What this also makes me think is that everything the knight learned on his quest meant nothing to him. He was going through the motions, to get the answer, but had no interest from learning from the experience.

To wrap up, on why I do not like the knight, his resolution seemed to happen too easily for his actions and behavior. Because he made this statement to her about how he will put her first, she then is willing to become beautiful. How do we know that he means that long term? His behavior and views towards women were demeaning and abusive, but he gets to have a happy ending. I find it hard to find the justice for the girl he raped or the way he treated his wife because in the end, his wife changed for him, and he gets to live with a beautiful spouse, who is a reflection of a short declaration of granting power.