Role of Women in Sir Gawain and The Green Knight and The...

In the Middle Ages, the roles of women became less restricted and confined and women became more opinionated and vocal. Sir Gawain and The Green Knight presents Lady Bertilak, the wife of Sir Bertilak, as a woman who seems to possess some supernatural powers who seduces Sir Gawain, and Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath Prologue and Tale, present women who are determined to have power and gain sovereignty over the men in their lives. The female characters are very openly sensual and honest about their wants and desires. It is true that it is Morgan the Fay who is pulling the strings in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight; nevertheless the Gawain poet still gives her a role that empowers her. Alison in The Wife if Bath Prologue represents the†¦show more content†¦She makes a very witty statement when she says that of we were all virgins how would we get more virgins, â€Å"And surely if no seed were ever sown, / From where then would virginity be grown?† (71-72) We must partake in sexual acts to allow procreation and thus a population. Thus a woman who is open about her desires and how she uses her sexuality to get what she wants should not be looked down on, as men have been doing this very same thing for eons. Alison presents herself as a very open-minded individual, not just a woman. She uses sexual desire to obtain what she wants from her husbands. She was a pioneer for the sexual liberation of woman in her time. She describes how she maintained authority over her husbands by manipulation and deceit. Three of which were old, the fourth was a philanderer and the last one, Jankyn was an abuser in the beginning. She explains that she â€Å"took [Jankyn] for love and not wealth† (272). Despite his resistance to allow Alison sovereignty in the beginning, he eventually concedes and the power switches from him to her. This switch allows Alison to be in control and not have to stay within the confines of the stereotypical Middle Age woman and wife. Their relationship is then happy and peaceful once she has dominion in the marriage and she was, â€Å"kind to him /†¦/ and he to me† (280). Alison is content with herself and the life she has lived. The portrayal of Alison gives wo men a voice andShow MoreRelated Womens Roles in Epic of Gilgamesh, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Canterbury Tales1481 Words   |  6 PagesChanging Womens Roles in The Epic of Gilgamesh, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Canterbury Tales Over the course of time, the roles of men and women have changed dramatically. 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