How Marriage Affected the Economic Status of Women

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Historical and Literary Discussion of The Wife of Bath’s Tale’s XIVth century
Literary Analysis of The Wife of Bath’s Tale
Historical and Literary Discussion of Twelfth Night’s early-modern England
Literary Analysis of Twelfth Night
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

Throughout the years, marriage has often been considered a desired and, often, a necessary custom that protected the spouses socially and financially, and the mutually advantageous alliance between families was often secured by marriage. Therefore, it is no surprise that when Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Wife of Bath’s Tale in the XIVth century, marriages often had little to do with love. Instead, they were often built on practicality that the alliances brought, elevating or preserving one’s social status, securing financial stability, or both. On the other hand, in Twelfth Night, written in the early XVIIth century, the reader is shown the more romantic side of a marital union. Nevertheless, the social status was still very relevant in the Elizabethan and Jacobean times, when Shakespeare was writing his plays. In both the XIVth and the XVIIth centuries, what remained true is the economic security women gained from marrying a wealthy man and the financial uncertainty they experienced from staying unwed.

Historical and Literary Discussion of The Wife of Bath’s Tale’s XIVth century

During the Medieval era, the women were often only viewed together with their husbands instead of as separate entities. According to Lynda Telford, women were expected to be “courteous and obliging” to their spouses, modest and quiet in their existence (1). Throughout their lives, women first belonged to their fathers and then passed on, often with a hefty dowry, to their spouses. In the Medieval years, men were expected to prove they were men constantly, be it by controlling their women or playing drinking games (Telford). Unsurprisingly, there was little romance in such unions, which more resembled the passing of goods from one pair of hands to another than matrimony as it is known today.

Financially speaking, the women with bigger dowries were in a better position for marriage. However, although they were more desirable to the men, they themselves had no claim to their own dowries. Without a husband, a Medieval woman had nothing, which explains why it would be a necessity to find a prospective bachelor as soon as the girls turned into women. In The Wife of Bath’s Tale, the narrator is what would be considered a promiscuous woman who has already had five husbands. The prologue that she uses to narrate her life story opens the sexual and sensual side of the marital relations in those times, as well as the financial gains one might have hoped for.

Literary Analysis of The Wife of Bath’s Tale

The story, which is a part of The Canterbury Tales, starts with an unusually long prologue, which serves as the real focus of the narrative. In the prologue, the narrator, the Wife of Bath, relates the stories of her previous marriages and expresses her attitudes about love, marriage, and virginity, amongst other things. The Wife proudly talks about manipulating the marital system and, as a result gaining property and money from her first three husbands. It is as if she was mocking them after having fooled them into giving up their power to her.

Furthermore, she argues with the common in those times notion that widows should not marry again after their husbands’ deaths. Instead, she insists that wifehood is a craft and should be practiced more often. These revolutionary views on marriage, expressed by the Wife, are interesting as they show the changing attitudes on the matter at the time of the poem being written. Although the views that the Wife takes still imply that a woman needs a man to have financial stability, she twists the traditional approach in her favor and takes power in the union.

Historical and Literary Discussion of Twelfth Night’s early-modern England

William Shakespeare, indisputably one of the most famous playwrights in the world, wrote numerous comedic, historical, and dramatic plays throughout the late Elizabethan –early Jacobean eras. Although the language of the plays can sometimes be difficult, the comedic situations are often still relatable today. Shakespeare wrote Twelfth Night at the dusk of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, which ended in 1603, followed by the reign of James VI of Scotland. The Elizabethan period was marked by several important literary works, such as The Shepherd’s Calendar, The Epithalamion, and Astrophel, and, of course, Shakespeare’s plays, many of them poetic or romantic (Javed 76). It was an era of short-lived peacefulness, which was expressed in the literacy and performances of the time, as people were no longer just worrying about survival. Known as the wonderful age of English literature, these years saw many authors and playwrights come out of their shells to create creative and innovative stories for the entertainment of others (Javed 68). The main distinctive feature of the literary works of this era is the freedom of imagination their authors expressed.

However, although the attitudes might have seemed more modern in some ways, women were highly dependent on the men that they chose, or often did not choose, to marry. This overarching theme can be throughout Shakespeare’s plays and Twelfth Night in particular. Many of Shakespeare’s comedies revolve around marriage as the goal, such as The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, and others. Furthermore, it is a common theme for the women to desire a beneficial marriage, which often had more to do with the potential husband’s financial situation rather than romance (Kumar 227). This meant that although the romance was often sought after, it mostly did not end in marriage. Hence, in a way, Shakespeare’s plays helped the people of the era live vicariously through the characters who were able to end up with their loved ones.

Literary Analysis of Twelfth Night

As humorous as Twelfth Night is, it serves an important role in portraying what the views, cultures, and dreams of people contemporary to the play were like. Viola, who survives a shipwreck, is looking for stability through marriage and is, therefore, representative of the most common, practical approach to matrimony at the time. Olivia, on the other hand, seems to have opposite intentions to Viola – she is seen to be in love with first Viola in a man’s clothing and then her brother. Although this might seem shallow, as she is only charmed by the looks of the siblings and does not seem to care which one she ends up with, it is still a romantic motive. The attitude of Orsino, who is seeking Olivia’s hand in marriage to prove his masculinity, further reinforces the portrayal of the views of the time. The use of humor skillfully maintains a light-hearted atmosphere throughout, which allows for thought-provoking content while remaining entertaining.

Conclusion

It is interesting that both in Medieval and in Early-Modern England and Europe, women remain in need of men for financial stability. However, the Elizabethan times see women become more independent. While during Medieval times, the Wife is scorned for her attitude, she is able to live as an outcast in a way that she wants. On the other hand, in Twelfth Night, the female characters can make relatively independent decisions more openly. Although they are still largely dependent and seeking matrimony for protection, they are not simply handed over like gifts at a Christmas tree.

Works Cited

Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Wife of Bath’s Tale. HarperPerennial Classics, 2014.

Javed, Muhammad. “A Study of Elizabethan Period (1558-1603).” International Journal Online of Humanities, vol. 6, no. 2, 2020, pp. 65-86.

Kumar, P. Prem. “Women in Shakespeare: A Re-Reading.” Research Journal of English Language and Literature, vol. 5, no. 1, 2017, pp. 227-230.

Shakespeare, William. Twelfth Night or, What You Will. Edited by Barbara A. Mowat & Paul Werstine, Folger Shakespeare Library, 1601. Folger Shakespeare Library.

Telford, Lynda. Women in Medieval England. Amberley Publishing, 2019.

Click Here To Order Now!