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The Wife of Bath's Tale and prologue are among the best-known of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. They give insight into the role of women in the Late Middle Ages and are probably of interest to Chaucer himself, for the character is one of his most developed ones, with her prologue twice as long as her tale.

The tale is not often regarded as the first of the so-called "marriage group" of tales, which includes the Clerk's, the Merchant's and the Franklin's tales.

The Wife of Bath begins the Prologue to her tale by establishing herself as an authority on marriage, due to her extensive personal experience with the institution. Since her first marriage at the tender age of twelve, she has had five husbands...........

 The Wife of Bath concludes with a plea that Jesus Christ send all women husbands who are young, meek, and fresh in bed, and the grace to outlive their husbands.

女主角渴望愛情及性慾

她的一生中有五個丈夫而尤其最愛第五任丈夫

對前幾任與第五任的差別描述更是整篇的重點之一

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 問世於十四世紀末的英國

使用英格蘭中部的中古英語, 以詩體寫成

故事內容不外乎是騎士歷險與宮廷愛情

此詩的藝術性極高作者

故事的結構也極為完整而集中﹐形成一個有機整體

第三部分故事雙管齊下﹐有條不紊﹐而不顯重複。作者善於運用懸念﹐善於烘托氣氛﹐

尤其是四季的景色﹑宮廷的華麗﹑奇異的冒險﹐富於浪漫主義色彩。

Sir Gawain 能在犯錯之後將實情稟告亞瑟王

並時時繫上腰帶引以為鑑以提醒自己曾經所犯的過錯

然而亞瑟王卻認為高文有勇氣面對自己的缺點，值得讚許，因此要求其他的圓桌武士也佩帶綠腰帶，表彰高文的知錯能改的勇氣

因為英史範圍很多也很廣

希望期中考能多以作業裡面出題以利同學更了解內文

或同學擇一有興趣之課文做報告

Beowulf is a heroic epic poem of unknown authorship, it is regarded as the first poem in English literature, the whole poem is written in Old English

The poem beautifully celebrates the culture of the early Danes, while incorporating newer influences from Christianity.

It is interesting in the end that Beowulf's heroism, a Danish attribute, triumphs over the Christian values of humility and self-sacrifice.

Beowulf can be interpreted so many different ways, but it stands out almost as much as a historical document of the changing times as a great work of fiction

Beowulf 的故事相當引人入勝

冒險 怪物 英雄 北歐神話故事構成了這篇史詩

冗長的敘述與高亢的情緒

英雄表現出超人的力量對抗敵人

以及超自然的力量介入人類的紛爭等

Beowulf 雖是英國文學作品

內容卻完全是北歐斯堪迪納維亞的故事

故事呈現出來的英雄崇拜也相當地明顯

我想給予後代文學的英雄主義也有一定的影響

Author:

Marie de France ("Mary of France") was a poet evidently born in France and living in England during the late 12th century. Virtually nothing is known of her early life, though she wrote a form of Anglo-Norman. She also translated some Latin literature and produced an influential version of Aesop's Fables. Marie de France was one of the best Old-French poets of the twelfth century. She identifies herself only as Marie who originated in France. Nothing else definite is known about her.

Summary:


King Arthur distributes presents, lands, and wives to his barons but neglects to reward the loyal Lanval; Lanval is depressed and in financial straits; lost in thought he goes off to the countryside and reaches a stream where he meets two lovely ladies who lead him to their mistress who is beautiful and rich; Lanval becomes her lover; she requires however that he keep their relationship secret or lose her forever; from then on Lanval is able to meet his lover whenever he wants and lives in luxury; Queen Guinevere makes a pass at Lanval who rejects her; angry, she accuses him of homosexuality.

 Lanval defends himself by boasting about the extreme beauty of his lover and points out that even her servants are more beautiful than the queen; even angrier, the queen tells the king that Lanval tried to seduce her and insulted her; the king demands that be put on trial; distressed, Lanval call his lover but she doesn't come; Lanval is brought to court; the barons are divided as to what to do; then it is agreed that Lanval must prove the truth of his boasts.

Suddently two girls, attendants of Lanval's lover and more beautiful than anyone had ever seen, appear and request that preparations be made for the arrival of their mistress; two more and also very beautiful ladies arrive and also request preparations for the arrival of their mistress; Lanval's lady finally arrives to the awe of all those present who must admit she is the most beautiful woman in the world; the lady announces she has been the lover of Lanval and that the queen lied, and requests that he be acquitted; Lanval is set free and he leaves with the lady for the island of Avalon and is never heard from again



Respose:

這首詩是取自Marie de France的Lais, 原文是法文
每行八音節,採英雄雙韻體(heroic couplet)


不同於總是英雄救美女的傳統
Lanval在故事中就不是個厲害的角色
先是被King Arthur遺忘並落魄地去鄉野間求生存
不過也在此時
遇見了他的愛人  美麗又富有
Lanval接受了愛人的幫助
過著奢華的日子

他們的愛是秘密或許也是成功的關鍵
也為日後Lanval的辯白留下伏筆


這首詩顛覆了傳統
即男人掌握了一切

從King Arthur 本該是形象威武的
但故事中不但被仙后所救最後還騎著驢子跟隨著仙后

到Lanval需要靠他愛人的幫助
才能生活之後也才免於牢罪之災

這說明女人也可以自主

「何必呆站岸邊，情願死於波濤，迎向新的世界」。

Edna歷經婚情與追求創作與獨居

情慾與意識型態同時覺醒

這時社會對女人限制重重  女性情慾似乎是見不得人的東西

情慾是正常的

不要刻板壓抑的想法

也不要以低俗鄙視的眼光看待

諸多打壓下

自由思想的Edna走上自殺這條路

但沒有了悲傷負面的想法

她的自殺隱隱指向女人可能享有另一個新世界

在一個自由的國度上不再受到打壓歧視

「一片黑地上，刻著血紅的A字。」

故事中Hester因為犯了通姦罪（adultery）必須戴上恥辱的「Ａ」字

在當時清教徒的年代下

Hester犯下了罪無可赦的錯誤

而Hester的丈夫逞罰通姦的兩人是想顯示他對神的忠誠信仰嗎

倒不如說是他受到了污辱 而急於報復的一顆自私的心

與Hester通姦的男性竟是身為神職人員的丁

看似最接近最了解神的旨意的神職人員也犯下了錯誤

整齣小說探討的存在人之間的善與惡

我總覺得不是那麼地明顯

畢竟人不是神 人的人性是不可掌握的吧

 「這樣確切的愛，一生只有一回」

對於麥迪遜之橋這本書

我深深體會到人生中有許多東西你不能同時兼得

無論是誰都不能

有失必有得

Francesca最終選擇了家庭的美滿也等於放棄了她的愛人Robert

我想不論是誰都不能斬釘截鐵地說哪個選擇是對的

做了那個選擇抑是另一個選擇

過程不同結局不同

但相同的是做選擇的時間已不能再回頭

遲暮之年的愛情也會令人流淚動容

在Francesca想打開車門去找Robert時的掙扎

驚訝  難過 煎熬 死心 的轉折下

緊握門把的手漸漸鬆脫

Robert的車也發動離開

他們的愛情也離開了但卻沒有結束

或許這麼 確切的愛一生只有一回

或許他們沒有緣份繼續下去

但是他們曾經擁有過