For 3/27 'Wife of Bath'--I posted for 'knights Tale'/mistakenly

The Wife of Bath's Tale: Big Lesson from Chaucer here I have to champion

**I wrote a longer version of this post here, but hit a button this (frustrating blog site) didnt like and all was erased...so, here's a somewhat shorter version:

I have to disagree with some posts re the sentence and clemency given the knight in the end. Chaucer here, as opposed to John Gower's 'Florent' tale, is generously giving us (mostly men) a larger lesson to ponder. He allows the rapist to be educated and subsequently redeemed not merely to give a criminal a year's vacation and in the end a hot wife and restored respect; this is a lesson to show us all, esp men, what can happen when women are given the "reigns", the power of decision-making, the sovereignty, to offer their wisdom of care in deciding what's best for society as a whole. Yes sovereignty in the home with their men, but this is a great day for women! Because what is highlighted here is women's skill and ability to render, patient, thoughtful, gracefully intelligent and carefully crafted JUDICIAL PRUDENCE! Rather than the often used "knee jerk" eye for an eye mentality men in power so often resort to. Guen and her "cohort, the Hag/Fairy Queen construct a "lesson" that gives society not only a better man who can teach other men that might not otherwise listen to a women's perspective--men teaching, modeling good behavior, is a better delivery because unfortunately too often men only listen to other men. Chaucer says, we need good men to mentor the other idiots!

Forgiveness. Can you imagine?

I think this is the first story we’ve read that has a proem, unless the prologues in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales count as proems. Anyway, the proem describes the origin of the conflict in “Sir Gowther”—namely, that demons rape human women and make them bear their literal hellspawn. Hang on, supernatural beings fathering half-human children? That sounds familiar . . .

Dangit Zeus.

The last three lines of the proem are as follows: “I’ll tell you instead of a warlock great / Who caused his mother’s heart to break / With all his deeds so wild” (22-24). However, though Gowther’s deeds are indeed wild and heinous and altogether terrible, they do not seem to be the deeds of a warlock since none are magical in nature. The only ones that might be magical in nature are the slaughters of Gowther’s wet nurses and the tearing off his mother’s nipple (ouch), because I’m pretty sure babies are not strong enough to do any of that no matter how hard they try! Then again, this is from the same genre that has knights slicing their foes cleanly and precisely in two, so maybe I should stop analyzing the realism of Gowther’s actions. That being said, the text later refers to Gowther’s father as “the warlock wild” (674), so maybe “warlock” is another term for “evil one.”

One more thing about the proem: it makes no mention of the warlock’s penance and redemption. This gives the impression that the story will just be about a monster of a man who keeps doing worse and worse things until he has destroyed everyone and everything in Europe. Alternatively, this gives the impression that the most important parts of the story are about Gowther’s terrible deeds. I disagree; Gowther’s penance and redemption are so important! Gowther is half-fiend, and yet his mother (who knows his hellish heritage) treats him about the same as she might a fully human child, the Pope allows him penance, and God answers Gowther’s prayers. One might argue that a tendency toward harm is inherent and strong in a half-fiend, and Gowther’s acts as an infant support this. Also, Gowther easily listens to the Devil, as “He’d always work his father’s will / Wherever he might fare” (176-177). One might say that Gowther is a lost cause, that there is no use in trying to teach him to be good and to follow God. Yet the people who raise Gowther do that, and even better: God shows mercy to a half-demon.

Did Christians find a strange sort of comfort in this story back when it first circulated? I figure if the Lord will forgive a half-demon for his sins, then He will surely forgive ordinary humans for theirs.

Osborn, Marijane, translator. Nine Medieval Romances of Magic. Broadview Press, 2000.

I pledge that I have neither given nor received any unauthorized aid on this assignment.

Miranda A. Barrientos

Emare's Fantasy -Elizabeth

This was an oddly too happy story for me...although I'm not entirely sure why. I've exposed myself to killer levels of cheesy goodness and still loved it, but this story just seemed extra fake to me.

 If I look at it in terms of the lessons of goodness and morals she displays, I can see how it has some merit as a popular story. But to me, she was just too calm with meeting her death at sea, for taking her innocent newborn son with her the second time, and for reading such a horrible letter from her beloved husband. Not to mention this overly fantasy, embroidery robe which (for some reason) was always sent with her out to sea. The emperor's first reaction to denial from his daughter is death, and yet, that same day he breaks down into tears over regret for what he's done? I'm sorry, but if  you're that temperamental as a parent, and that impulsive as a King, how on earth did he gain his great reputation in the first place?

And although I did enjoy the fact she met, fell in love, and married a good man after her first ordeal at sea, I couldn't help but be surprised to see the King leave his pregnant wife to go to war for several years. I don't know if King's actually put themselves in harms-way every war in real life, but I would think that once they took up the crown they were kept in a place of safety, especially until the confirmation of a living heir was confirmed. Then there's the fact this parent didn't seem to mind at all missing the birth of his son, or his first steps, first word...etc. It said the war lasted for years, but she would've given birth in less than one.

...there are just too many pieces that don't add up, which I think is why I disliked the happy ending. It didn't make any sense how they got there, and was so entirely fantasy I couldn't take satisfaction in it all working out.

The class discussion the other day was interesting though, and answered a couple holes I saw in the plot. I was surprised to discover that the word "Egare" actually meant "Outcast," and found this new name clever because of it. I originally thought she changed it for a simpler transition, since it's only a one letter difference.

I think the story would have been improved had she lost something with each trip across the sea: like her trust in family, maybe some of the beauty in her robe, a toe freezing off from the cold sea...her son being ill for a bit from being exposed to such cold weather while so young, or maybe just her living in great poverty with her son for those first 7 years. Him learning the hardships and work moral of this status, but still remaining courteous, and she who pulls through each trial (but not without sacrifice) to finally be reunited with them all in the end.

Wicked Mommy Dearest

So, surprisingly, I had a difficult time getting through Emaré. I am not sure what happened between Sir Orfeo and Emaré but I was just not feeling this tale. With Sir Orfeo, I had all the elements that I like to see from a retelling: Supernatural elements, whimsical words, a drastic change from the original plot (like, hello!?, did NOT see that happy ending coming), and lots of lurrrrrve. But Emaré was just "meh" for me. Nothing really stood out to get me all hyped up about her or her story.

But, as anyone who knows me knows, I LOVED the evil, wicked, mother in law figure. Personally, my relationship with my mother-in-law isn't the best. In fact, it's pretty terrible since I don't like her and she doesn't like me. But that's neither here nor there. I have been WAITING DESPERATELY, for an evil female figure and she's finally here, guys! She's here!

I love evil. Whether that be good ol' Lucifer, Evil Queens, villains, monsters, Gretchen Weiners. I'm a fan, like you have no idea. So when I found an evil queen in Emare? It was on.

Seriously, she makes this story, for me. Her bitchy "unkind" words: YASS, The evil laugh/plot "Then said the angry queen, turning for home, 'I do not mean to stay to see you wed'". How you like them apples?! Then she writes a ton of "evil letters" that throw the whole plotline into disarray. And she's known as the "wicked queen". Like, that's awesome.

So thank GOD, for this evil queen because without her, I don't think I would have made it through Emaré's story. I don't think I would have a shred of interest.

What Did I Just Read.......

OKAY WHAT A STORY FULL OF WTF! Sir Gowther tells about his life from birth to death. If is the son of a fiend and has an evil life ahead of him after conception under that chestnut tree.

DO NOT GO INTO THE ORCHARD! Okay so poor MOM. She literately thought this man was her husband and made love to him and she was deceived for it. I feel slight sympathy for her because all she wanted to do was please her husband with a child and she was deceived into conceiving a doomed man eating child who did tore off nipples. I am starting to believe women should not go into the orchard because Sir Orfeo wife and the wife in this tale got into trouble going into the orchard.

After finding out the truth of his father he travels to receive absolution from his sins from the Pope. The pope tells him that he cannot speak and can only eat things that dogs eat. So picture him eating under a table with hounds.

I think its great that they fight in different colors every day because before we were told that people were known for their armor. The color and intricacy of the armor identifies who the knight it and no one know who these knights are. I think this is awesome because they conduct themselves so well in the world of combat and I know people want to give them recognition but they can’t because they cannot identify who they are.  They only person who knows about this, is the emperorer;s daughter who is mute and she cannot tell anyone anything.

She falls from her tower when she sees Sir Gowther wounded badly in the last day of their battle. They thought that she was dead but she came to, and told everyone that god has forgiven Sir Gowther for his sins and now they can both speak again. I think its touching that he repents for his sins and receives his blessing for following “gods” will. 

Emare and her robe shield

I really like this tale, even though we are right back to treating women like objects. Sadly I don't think that theme will rest up. We do have another situation where the father seems a little too protective or obsessed with his daughter. Why did he feel the need to marry her though? That just weirds me out. Despite her own father banishing her, she seems to roll with the punches and that's throughout the whole story.

Her father treats her as an object and King Galys only looks at her outer beauty to determine that he wants to marry her. Although I did appreciate his kindness in his letter that told his men to still look after her. My question is why didn't Sir Kadore do anything when all of a sudden she was going to be banished? Wouldn't he think something was off? He must have gotten a bad vibe from the queen mother at some point that she was the type to meddle in, it's kind of hard not to recognize someone like that.

I like the robe concept here. I think that it definitely had a major role in saving her life and sort of guiding her maybe. She was weakened by her travels but she wasn't left for dead. She also reached far off places that accepted her, at least at one point. She was also wearing it when she was reunited with the her husband. I also loved how she settled with a merchant and spent years working with her hands instead of being kept above everybody else to just be marveled at like queens and princesses are usually. I didn't care for her to meet with her father again, but I guess it made her happy to be reunited with him.

Thank God the mother was found out to be a lying piece of crap! She brought it on herself. I mean maybe she was bored and didn't want another woman to receive love from her son but what the hell woman. Go find yourself a man, or a hobby for that matter! I really liked this happy ending. Emare deserved to know that her husband did not banish her and her son deserved to know that his father truly loved him.

Sweet Emaré's Sweet Come Back

Emaré must be my favorite tale by far.  In the face of death, Emaré/ Egaré somehow kills everyone with kindness and grace.  I wish I wasn't as petty as I am, because she is an absolute rock-star.  A humble upbringing by Dame Abró was clearly much better than her heathen father.  I find it interesting how no one questions anyone.  There is no "dude wtf" or "why did you replace me with the King of Sicily?"  (ALSO lol at his temporary blindness and instantly blaming it on fairies)

I'm very proud of her to have the strength to tell her father she will not marry him in the name of the Lord.  Still shocked that his first instinct was to cast his own daughter who he's seen for the first time in YEARS to sea with no resources.  But at the same time, I feel like a lot of people make rash decisions as such.

Emaré, now Egaré once she reaches Wales seems to experience one of the greatest fortunes the world could bestow upon her.   Much like our class discussion about the author giving the reader positive/life changing events, but taking away with tragedy (although this is of a higher scale than Sir Orfeo's) I find that it makes me want to keep reading.  Having a healthy boy and living to take care of him, then being cast off to sea AGAIN because of her husband's mom (talk about bad in-laws).

The way she goes about telling, or having Segramore tell them, both her father and husband who they are is extraordinarily eloquent.  She carries no hate in her which I know I would be FIRED UP if anything happened to me even remotely as terrible as that.  I'd say the lesson is to prove by doing and always strive to be the better person (and to raise even better kids).