his physical description of her. However, Bercilak’s wife is in total control of her encounters with Gawain. The speaker notes that, “The lady, with guile in heart, / Came early where he lay; / She was at him with all her art/ To turn his mind her way” (ll.1472-1475). From the context I gather “her art” to be the sex appeal Bercilak’s wife is using in order “to turn [Gawain’s] mind her way.” Due to Gawain’s physical attraction to the lady and his incorrect belief concerning her sexual intentions, Bercilak's wife is able to fulfill her task “to assay, if such it were, the surfeit of pride/ That is rumored of the retinue of the Round Table” (ll.2458-2459) and prove that the knights of the Round Table are not as noble and truthful as they are believed to be. Another example of misogyny is found in “The Miller’s Tale”, from The Canterbury Tales, with The Miller’s description of Alisoun:“Fair was this yonge wif, and therwithal/ As any wesele hir body gent and small…. Upon hir lendes, ful of many a gore…She was ful more blissful on to see/ Than is the newe perejonette tree, / And softer than the wolle is of a wether…Ther nis no man so wis that coude thenche/So gay a popelote or swich a wenche…She was a primerole, a piggesnye, / For any lord to leggen in his bedde, / Or yit for any good yeman to wedde” (ll.125-162).Here, The Miller is objectifying Alisoun by giving the impression that Alisoun’s desirability is not due to her personality but rather just her physical traits. Nicholas also has an objectifying view of Alisoun as seen by his action of grabbing Alisoun “by the quainte,/ And saide, ‘Ywis, but if ich have my wille,/ For derne love of thee, lemman, I spill.’/ And heeld hire heed harde by the haunche-bones”(ll.168-71). In addition, Alisoun’s husband also sees her as just...
