1. By Geoffrey Chaucer

2. The Prologue Before she could start she keeps being interrupted by the Pardoner She is going to tell her tale if she as though she is an expert at marriage and also as though she part of the “marriage group” The “marriage group” includes several stories that explore how men and women should behave in marriage.

3. The Tale – the background She starts off her tale by referring to the Celtic belief of animism by telling how there use to be an Elf-Queen and fairies in the land. The Celtic fairies have been irradiated by the Friars Which makes it safer for the women, except Women must be wary of the Friars “There is no other incubus but he, So there is really no one else to hurt you And he will do no more than take your virtue”

4. The Tale A knight, “who was a lusty liver,” sees a maiden and rapes her. Because violence toward women was so against the chivalric code, he is sentenced, by the king, to be beheaded. The queen begs her king to let her decide his punishment. Her theory: since it was a crime against a woman, a woman should decide the punishment. The King grants her wish.

5. The Tale cont. The Queen challenges the knight to answer one question in a year’s time in order to save his life. “What is the thing that women most desire?” The knight goes to every house in the land to find the answer. He gets all sorts of answers, but could not find the right one.

6. The Tale cont. Even though he cannot find the right answer, he heads back to the Queen because his code of chivalry requires him to keep his promises On his way there, he meets an old, wrinkly, gross woman She says she will answer the riddle if the knight grants her first request

7. The Tale cont. He takes her to court with him All of the women of the kingdom are there The Answer: women want power over men The old woman jumps up and says “I told him that and now he must marry me” The knight pleads for mercy because she is disgusting to him He loses – and is forced to marry the old, wrinkly, hag

8. The Tale – cont. He hides from everyone on his wedding day The old woman lectures him on what makes a good wife She offers him a choice – A beautiful, but finicky, complaining wife or Or an ugly faithful one He realizes her need for power, and lets her choose She …..