Dame Ragnell and Alisons Tale :: Canterbury Tales Essays

lady Ragnell and Alisons Tale In Chaucers The Canterbury Tales, the Wife of Bath (Alison) teaches her audience what it is women most desire through her tosh. The taradiddle she tells resembles the tale of Dame Ragnell. These stories ar analogies, perhaps both(prenominal) arising from a similar folk-tale source. Both stories are ready in the magical Arthurian times when the fields and forests teemed with gnomes and unearthly creatures. Although both stories have the same moral and end on similar note, in that respect are some vivid differences that we simply cannot overlook. It is very possible that Alisons tale is a custom tailored version of the Dame Ragnell story. The knight in The Wife of Baths Tale is portrayed as a selfish pagan whose behavior is anything but courteous. It seems as if Alison twists the story of Dame Ragnell to suit her deliver selfish needs and makes the point that men are scum for her tale begins with a noble knight of king Arthurs court raping a maidenAnd so bifel it that King ArthourHadde in his hous a lusty bachelerThat on a day cam riding fro river,And happed that, al peerless as he was born,He sawgh a maide walking him bifornOf which maide anoon, maugree hir heed,By very force he rafte hir maidenheed Norton, 888-894.As a result of the knights behavior, the queen gives the knight an ultimatum. He now must consider what thing it is that wommen most desiren within a twelve months time number (Norton, 911). Alison does not depict the knight in the nicest light. I guess she is the one painting the lion in this case. Unlike The Wife of Baths Tale, the story of Dame Ragnell portrays Sir Gawain as an exemplary hero who is loyal to his King beyond belief. Sir Gawain promises to unite the loathsome Dame Ragnell in order to save the Kings life and illustrates his loyalty to the king by following up on his promise. When King Arthur gives Gawain the steep description of the foulest maiden ever seen by men and poses the que stion to Gawain, Sir Gawains answer is the quintessence of loyaltyGawen, I met today with the foulest ladyThat evere I sawe sertenly.She say to me my life she wold saveBut first she wold thee to husbond have.Wherfor I am wo begon- and then in my hart I make my mone.