The Wife of Bath's tale is appropriate to her character and perfectly complements the description of the wife in the general prologue of Geoffrey Chaucer's late 1300s literary masterpiece, I Canterbury Tales. The Wife of Bath creates a heroine through whom one can live vicariously. In the character of the "old woman" readers find the epitome of a woman who gains power by weaving together the threads of youth, beauty and desire. In the story the boundaries of reality and deception do not exist. Woman is his own creation. The Wife of Bath, within her mortal limitations, elevated her social position through the same techniques that are exemplified, so hyperbolized, through the character of her tale. The protagonist of the story, the knight, falls victim to the old woman and cannot escape the trap she has set for him. The knight, therefore, symbolizes the naive men of status who are the object of the Wife's insatiable desire. The old woman and the knight thus populate a story attributed to the most suitable pilgrim on the journey, the Wife of Bath. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the General Prologue, Chaucer describes the Wife's "handkerchiefs...of finely woven earth" and her "pipe...of the finest scarlet." The "garter belt" stockings and the "soft new" ankle-revealing shoes combine to create an image of wealth and attractiveness. Clearly the Wife knows how to transform her old figure into something to be desired. Although Chaucer depicts the Wife only in her costumed state, the fact that she has had five husbands reveals that she is not a young woman. However, what nature takes with time, the Wife makes up for with flamboyant clothing placed tactically on her body. This woman, with her red hue and bulky, costumed figure, connotes the tempting Apple of Eden, attracting rich, naïve men. He reversed the curse of Original Sin. It is men who fall victim to temptation. The Wife of Bath has the experience of the past "from the "companionship of youth", the solution for future consequences with "the remedies for love misfortunes", and therefore her present is occupied with obtaining a sixth husband. That powerful façade she finds in the wealth and in the clothes and accessories he gives her. Like the fictional heroine of her tale, the Wife of Bath is her own creator. Likewise, the old woman in the tale of the Wife of Bath is aware of the power of deception. While "a creature of more loathsome appearance...could scarcely be imagined," when readers are introduced to the woman alongside the tale's protagonist, the creature transforms into a beautiful woman after gaining dominion. on her husband. It is interesting to note that the woman chooses not to assume a state of youth and beauty from the beginning. Although the capacity for eternal exquisiteness is within the power of this creature, she reserves herself to assume this desirable state until he will have obtained the "sovereignty" he seeks. If the woman had presented herself to the knight as a young and beautiful woman, her fate could have resembled that of the raped girl. Instead, the creature manipulates the rider into a position of submission. Only then, after she has “conquered mastery,” can the couple “live forever to the end / In perfect bliss.” Both this character and the Wife possess a wit and ingenuity that allows them to manipulate and dominate, supporting the Wife's earlier statement that "lies, tears and turns of phrase are."