Power

Question 0

Carter

Answer 0

“By giving women authority… The consequences can be rewarding and even lead to joy”

Evidenced in the tale

Question 1

Strohm

Answer 1

“her simple but commanding “abide” secures his silence”

Question 2

Aers [monster]

Answer 2

“If she is a monster she is Frankenstein’s monster. It is the men who have made her so aggressively masculine”

Refuses D. W. Robertson’s “carnal monster” description

Question 3

Aers [structure]

Answer 3

She “merely inverts the traditional positions within the structure of domination”

Question 4

Cockburn

Answer 4

“At each stage of the tale, it is the women who decide the knight’s fate”

Question 5

Cockburn [strength]

Answer 5

That she survives five husbands is “A real measure of her strength”

Isn’t it more they survive her though?

Question 6

Context: ‘The Goodman of Paris’ says…

Answer 6

A wife should be like a dog which “Even if his master whip him and throw stones at him, the dog followeth, wagging his down and lying down before his master to appease him”

How sickening, medieval male dominance. ‘Le Ménagier de Paris’ is a French medieval guideboom from 1393 on a women’s proper behaviour in marriage and running a household. Central theme is wifely obedience. Due to French, upper class and church only could read it

Question 7

Prologue: 215

Answer 7

“I sette hem so a-werke”

Question 8

Prologue: 199

Answer 8

“In which that they were bounden unto me”

Question 9

Power terms used include…

Answer 9

“Governance” “maistrie” “soveraynetee” “my lawe”

Question 10

Prologue: 175

Answer 10

“Myself have been the whippe”

Question 11

Prologue: 158

Answer 11

“I have the power durynge al my lyf

Upon his propre body, and noght he”

Question 12

Prologue: 432 [one word]

Answer 12

“Sheep”

Making fun

Question 13

Prologue: 202

Answer 13

“I laughe whan I thynke

How piteously a-night I made hem swinke”

Question 14

Prologude: 425

Answer 14

“I ne owe hem nat a word that it nys quit”

Monosyllabic, proud of dominance

Question 15

Prologue: 813

Answer 15

“The bridel in myn hond
To han the governance of hous and lond
And of his tonge and of his hand also”

Makes Jankyn renouce power and written authorities, also innuendo

Question 16

Tale: 888

Answer 16

“By verray force he rafte hire maidenhed” “oppressioun”

Question 17

Chain reaction of power

Answer 17

“Graunted” “I grante thee lyf” “I grante”

King passes power to queen to knight to hag

Question 18

Tale: 1218

Answer 18

“I shal fulfille youre wordly appetite”

Odd, like rewarding him although she’s just lectured him on his vices. Contrasts WoB’s language.

Question 19

Tale: 1231

Answer 19

She gives him power “chese now” and he gives back “I put me in yore wise governance, cheseth yourself”.

Question 20

Tale: 1253

Answer 20

“His herte bathed in a bath of blisse”

Equality of power gives genuine happiness

Question 21

Tale: 1255

Answer 21

“And she obeyed hym in every thyng”

Although equal, she still conforms to the idea of relationships presented in the Knight’s Tale where in return for subservience, a husband will not hit his wife

Question 22

Tale: 1261

Answer 22

“Eek I praye Jhesu shorte hir lives
That wol nat be governed by hir wyves”

Has WoB missed the point? Ends tale on word “pestilence” - disease, curse!