iraft my beautee and my pith." (Chaucer: line 481-482). Although the physical description of Dame Alice is not as unpleasant as the portrait of the old woman, there is notable mimicrybetween the two women. The old woman is described by the knight as, "A fouler wight ther may no man devise." (Chaucer: line 1005), the old woman also quotes him later as saying she was "foul and old" (Chaucer: line 1219). Due to the similarities of the women one could successfully argue that The Wife of Bath, sees herself somewhere in the old hags character, as becoming the old hag, yet hoping to transform into the young and beautiful maiden.Ultimately, the massive affiliation between the prologue and the tale is the likeness between both the fifth husband, Jankyn and the knight. In the beginning both of the men disrespected women. Jankyn read from his book of wicked women, and at times reading out loud to Dame Alice. For his disdain of women he was punished by his wife when she ripped out the pages in is book. The knight disrespected women by harshly violating a maiden's honour, he to was punished for this and not only punished but also punished by a woman. Jankyn and Dame Alice only realized genuine bliss once Jankyn gives all sovereignty over to his wife. After he has agreed to that, both he and his wife live in harmony, "After that day we hadde nevere debat." (Chaucer: Line 828). The knight as well had to give his wife, the old woman mastery in order to be able to live blissfully, in letting her make her own decision he was rewarded by living a enchanting life, "And thus they live unto hir lives ende In parfit joye." (Chaucer: line: 1264).Consequently, these three claims help support the notion that the Wife of Bath's Tale is fashioned to echo her life, or at least what she described of it in her prologue. The most compelling fact overall was the matching personalities and the lessons learnt by her husband, Jankyn and the knight. Although ...
