Dame Ragnell and Alisons Tale :: Canterbury Tales Essays

Dame 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 twaddle. The tale she tells resembles the tale of Dame Ragnell. These stories are analogies, perhaps both arising from a similar folk-tale source. Both stories are set in the magical Arthurian times when the field and forests teemed with gnomes and unearthly creatures. Although both stories have the same moral and end on similar note, there are some vivid differences that we simply cannot overlook. It is very realistic that Alisons tale is a custom tailored version of the Dame Ragnell story. The sawhorse in The Wife of Baths Tale is portrayed as a selfish heathen whose behavior is anything but courteous. It seems as if Alison twists the story of Dame Ragnell to suit her own 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 e xponent ArthourHadde in his hous a lusty bachelerThat on a day cam locomote fro river,And happed that, alone 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 find what thing it is that wommen most desiren within a twelve months time frame (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 major power beyond belief. Sir Gawain promises to marry the loathsome Dame Ragnell in order to save the Kings life and illustrates his devotion to the king by following up on his promise. When King Arthur gives Gawain the horrific description of the foulest maiden ever seen by men and poses the question to Gawain, Sir Gawains reaction is the quintessence of loyaltyGawen, I met today with the foulest ladyThat evere I sawe sertenly.She tell to me my life she wold saveBut first she wold thee to husbond have.Wherfor I am wo begon-Thus in my hart I make my mone.