William Shakespeare s Othello And The Canterbury Tales Essay

In William Shakespeare’s novel, â€Å"Othello† and in Geoffrey Chaucer’s novel, The Canterbury Tales, include women throughout both novels. The novel, Othello is written in 1603 and The Canterbury Tales is written in the 1400’s, during the late Middle Ages. Women during the Late Middle Ages and the early Modern Period were portrayed differently then how women are portrayed today. Typically, during this time period of 1400-1600’s, women roles during this time was weak. Women were only allowed to listen to the men in the house and they really were not allowed to talk much about anything to the men or anyone in general. Women were inferior to men during this time period. In these two novels, Othello and The Canterbury Tales, Desdemona, Emilia, and the Wife of Bath, portray women who go against of what is expected of them during the 1400-1600’s. In The Canterbury Tales, the Wife of Bath is a woman who goes against her role in society as being the â€Å"ideal women† during this time period. In her prologue, the Wife of Bath says, â€Å"They had given me their land and their treasure; I no longer needed to be diligent to win their love, or show them reverence. They loved me so well, by God above, that I didn’t prize their love!† (Chaucer 191). During the 1400’s, women were inferior to men. Women were known as the â€Å"weaker sex.† The men were the ones who were stronger and the ones to tell their wives what they needed to do. Men were in control and in power, that they were the ones in charge ofShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare: A Brief Biography651 Words   |  3 Pages William Shakespeare is arguably the most well known and successful author is the history of literature. Little is known about Shakespeare’s childhood and is what questions he’s existence. Besides the lack of knowledge of his childhood, Shakespeare lived a successful adult life. His plays changed the englis h language language forever. In all of his success, people still doubt he ever existed. William Shakespeare’s birth is unknown but church records show that he was baptised on April 26, 1564Read More Contradictions in Chaucers The Canterbury Tales Essay3897 Words   |  16 PagesContradictions in Chaucers The Canterbury Tales There is no question that contradictory values make up a major component of The Canterbury Tales. Fate vs. Fortuna, knowledge vs. experience and love vs. hate all embody Chaucers famous work. These contrasting themes are an integral part of the complexity and sophistication of the book, as they provide for an ironic dichotomy to the creative plot development and undermine the superficial assumptions that might be made. The combination of completelyRead MoreQueen Elizabeths Lasting Effect on Theater Essay1800 Words   |  8 Pages(Somerset 369). This would start a formation of Adult companies by the queen and wealthy nobleman. Ater being taken in by wealthy nobleman and the queen, adult companies were assured protection from puritan city authorities. During the period of the 1580s, the Queens Men would become the most famous of all Adult companies. Not only were they wearing her livery, the twelve hand-picked actors were considered to be the best in the profession (Chambers 109). The y were sworn in as her servants and were ableRead MoreStudy Guide Literary Terms7657 Words   |  31 Pagesrepetition of the initial sounds of several words in a group. The following line from Robert Frosts poem Acquainted with the Night provides us with an example of alliteration,: I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet. The repetition of the s sound creates a sense of quiet, reinforcing the meaning of the line 3. allegory – Where every aspect of a story is representative, usually symbolic, of something else, usually a larger abstract concept or important historical/geopolitical event