The Irony In Religion

Although religion has played an important role in every tale we've read so far, it's a key element in The Wife of Bath's Tale beyond previous examples. In the prologue, to start, we see reoccurring reference to God, Jesus and The Bible. At first, the reader is not very aware of the specific purpose of religion, and words such as "Christ, who is the source of perfection, Did not command that every one should go sell All that he had, and give it to the poor (107-109)" hint towards a strict interpretation of religion, setting expectations for a serious consideration. Then, as the text evolves, we begin to wonder the role religion plays as intended to explain a final purpose of the tale, and its significance changes. Suddenly it serves as a connection to historical and cultural aspects, as if pretending to facilitate the understanding of the tale by setting parallels with a theme that the narrator assumes universal.

References to God create tension at some points and, prior to the reader immersing fully in the mood of the text, even give the masterpiece some brushwork characteristic of particularly devote writing. The use of powerful words such as "help me true God omnipotent (423)" make it hard to even consider the presence of irony and humor. I, by the point, assumed that it would be a serious tone with an ultimately morally constructive theme such as parables in The Bible. Soon, and to my honest surprise,some other elements began to kick in.

The Tale continues to narrate about women and marriage in a way that breaks with the initial mood of the text. At first it seems cruel and exaggerated with mention of the malign capabilities of a hateful wife:

"That some have slain their husbands in their bed,

And let her lecher copulate with her all the night,

When the corpse lay in the floor flat on its back.

And some have driven nails in their brains,

While they slept, and thus they had them slain.

Some have given them poison in their drink (766-771)."

Suddenly, the religious mood of the text is interfered with the introduction of vicious violence and heartless homicide. I begin to struggle to find a moral or some sort of teaching in words but they definitely fail to meet my expectations. Words narrate the most negative of the thoughts, the most painful of the human nightmares, and suddenly religion no longer gives this text a feeling of devotion and faith on the noble.

Then words begin to emerge in ways that challenge reality, for it is hard to believe that the same Tale encourages religion and delivers such liberal and unrefined ideas of marriage in unison. The wife suggests that women "love no man who takes notice or concern about Where we go; we will be free (to do as we wish) (322)." Here is what I meant by liberal, for such mentality is even frowned upon today. The image of marriage is one of trust and loyalty, and this ideas challenge the traditional ideals of the ceremony.

In the midst of this antagonism of marriage, religion surrenders not in its appearance, struggling to maintain its high ground. Small references to The Bible continue to show up even if they are as minimal as "He died when I came from Jerusalem, And lies buried under the rood beam (495-496)." The situation made me recall conscience and its similarity to what would be a battle between good and evil inside ones self, almost like used to happen in cartoons. But both sides struggle, and even turn upon each other to twist meanings: "I know well Abraham was a holy man, And Jacob also, insofar as I know; And each of them had more than two wives (55-57)."

No situation explains this better than when a child finds his parent engaged in that which they forbid him. Whats left to say when example fails, when him who asks you to excel lives in mediocrity? And then, as in all confrontations, ideas begin to blend with each other even to the point of complement. In the end so much irony, exaggeration and critic blends into something bordering satire, the much expected moral of the story:

"And also I pray Jesus shorten their lives

That will not be governed by their wives; (1261-1262)."