The Wife of Bath

The Wife of Bath is a great woman. As much as I disliked Morte D' Arthur I enjoyed The Wife of Bath's prologue, what a gal! Not only was this woman funny but she was down to earth. She expressed so many of the issues that many of us have today. I thoroughly enjoyed her honesty and her complete lack of tact. The Wife of Bath does not hide any of her past experiences, in fact she points out that if any one knows what marriage should be it's her because she's tried five times. I loved the biblical references (the woman at the well), even though she may have misinterpreted it completely. The Wife is completely honest and who couldn't love her?

I read the Canterbury tales in high school and loved them then. Geoffrey Chaucer could not have written a better critique on society and its values. The Wife of Bath is almost a joke making fun of the idea that a proper woman may have had so many husbands. She does not claim to hide the idea that she married for money the first couple of times, she points out the fact that they were her best marriages - the men were rich and old and would soon die. The next ones were not that easy, but yet they too died.

The Wife of Bath's Prologue has so far been my favorite piece this semester. It was completely enjoyable and quite easy to read, despite the language barrier. It fit very well into the time period in which it was written. The Canterbury Tales as a whole focussed on the religous controversies at the time and on politics. Chaucer used excellent form and pattern. This work fits in well with the others of the time.

Morte D' Arthur

This may be considered a classic, well it has to be or else it would not be included in the Norton Anthology, but to be honest - it bored me! Morte D' Arthur was a fairy tale. So maybe Sir Lancelot came to the rescue to save the beautiful queen and la de da. I just did not care for the story. It was long and drawn out, it really did not have any historical truths besides the ones that there really was a guy named Sir Lancelot and there really was a King Arthur and so on. As much as I was bored with the story, I did enjoy one part of it. Sir Lancelot kissed Guinevere. YAY!

Beowulf

All through high school I dreaded the year we would have to read Beowulf. Looking back on my senior year, when we did finally read the epic, I can understand why all upperclassmen had warned me about this long and uneventful poem. Maybe it was the way in which we read it, my own maturity level, or my insane hate for literature as a whole - I could not stand Beowulf. Upon the first day of class, when I noticed we were reading Beowulf, I was mortified. It was bad enough that I had already been forced to read the incredibly long and boring epic poem, but I was going to have to read it again. When I began reading Beowulf for the second time around I found myself intrigued and not annoyed with the slow plot. Beowulf turned out to be an amazing adventure (and crazy as it is) that I could not put down. I had to finish Beowulf in one sitting. Not only did I read the assigned sections, but I read the entire poem. I enjoyed every second of it.

Beowulf is an excellent historical account (not necessarily all true accounts) that kept my attention throughout its entirety. The author uses excellent descriptions not often thought of to describe every day things: for example, whale-road. This is also another story that battles with Pagan thoughts and Christian views. The author has many references to the scripture but also contradicts scripture in many ways. Lines 180-195 describe the perils anyone faces when they do not turn to the Lord for help. Lines 665-670 is also another reference to scripture. Beowulf relies on the Lord to help him while using his own strength to defeat Grendel. At first it seems as though the author is acknowledging the fact that Beowulf could have never defeated Grendel without the aid of the Lord, but at a closer reading the author is saying that it was the Lord that allowed Beowulf the strength to get up after which he defeated Grendel. Many of these scripture references are made and yet it is very easy to tell that Christianity is still so new and not all have given their full trust to Christ.

Beowulf also shows an awesome account of the way of life at the time. The importance of community and the importance of trusting that community. If individuals did not have a community to which they belonged they were doomed to be extinguished. At this time there were wars and many tribes over taking each other all battling to have the most land. Going along with community, the act of loyalty was also an important factor in the lives during The Old Ages. Individuals were loyal to the family and also to the community as a whole to which they belonged. Loyalty was addressed during the fight with the dragon. While Beowulf was fighting the dragon and slowly giving in, many men ran for their own safety while one man, Wiglaf, shows his true loyalty to both Beowulf and his community. Wiglaf stepped up to the challenge of fighting the dragon and helping in the possibility of survival for Beowulf. Wiglaf showed true loyalty. Also, another important element shown in Beowulf is heroism. Beowulf was a hero that stepped in to intervene and save a community from not one monster, but three! Beowulf is an amazing story that I thoroughly enjoyed and would definitely read again. The upperclassmen that warned me about this long, slow-moving epic did not truly capture the excitement and strong plot that it exhibits.

This also fits very well into the time period. Beowulf is all about heros and heroic scenes. There is definite focus on the pas and on ancestors. Each person exists because of the ancestors and is introduced into the story by who their family is. Definitely no playfullness in this epic, it is all about battle and courage.

The Dream of the Rood

Torn between the Pagan way of thought and the Christian way of the thought the writer of "The Dream of the Rood" wrestles with what the cross Christ was hung on was feeling, experiencing, and battling during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. I found it very interesting the cross described himself as "...stained with sins, wounded with wrongdoings..." Christians are, no doubt, sinners and many acts committed are often wrongdoings. The cross then recognizes that Christ was "....adorned with garments, decked with gold..." and yet underneath all of the beauty, Christ was aching and full of pain. Christ indeed was aching and full of pain, feeling let down by all of humanity while fulfilling his Father's plans. The author focuses on the idea that Christ was a heroic figure and not the weak creature he is often depicted as. Rather than being forced onto the cross, the author speaks of Christ leaping on to the cross readily. Rather than asking why, Christ gladly takes on the roll as a sacrifice for all of mankind. The author portrays Christ to be the hero he truly is and gives him the praise he deserves.

The Dream of the Rood definitely fits into the time period. There is a huge emphasis on heroes, as said before it is thought that Jesus is the hero. There is a definite absence of romance and playfulness, it's quite dull and kind of a downer. There is a fusion of Christian and Pagan elements. It is as if they are still trying to figure out how to make Christianity work in their lives. The cross takes on a personality is one prime example. It also addressed the courage that Christ had when he lept up on the cross and took on the role of hero