In the prologue, the Wife of Bath establishes that she is an expert on marriage because she has had five husbands since the age of 12. Her tale, which continues the discussion of marriage, is about compromise between husband and wife. Though she gives the general idea that men must first give the wives sovereignty in marriage to get happiness in return. If not she knows how to manipulate them into getting exactly what she wants. This tale sheds some light on how Chaucer viewed women as extremely manipulative.
A selfish knight commits a rape after he is "overcome by lust." This is something a woman would never want from her husband. The knight is ordered to go on a quest to find out what women want most, in exchange for his life. He hears many different answers, and as his deadline approaches, he finally comes across an old hag. She tells him that she can give him the answer if he does what she will request in the future, and the knight agrees. The hag tells him that women want sovereignty in a marriage more than anything else. When her answer turns out to be right, his life is saved. The hag then requests that he marry her. The knight protests because she was very old and ugly. He marries the hag anyway and she asks him if he would rather have a wife who is beautiful and unfaithful or one who is ugly and loyal. The knight passively lets her decide for him. This turns out to be exactly what the hag (and all women) wanted. The hag becomes beautiful, which is what the knight (and all men) wanted. Their marriage becomes happy because they both compromised.
It seems like the Wife adds this story to back her point of view of how men should always obey their wives to stay happy. Even King Arthur hands over the Knights case to his queen and we see a happy ending for what would've otherwise ended in an execution.
A selfish knight commits a rape after he is "overcome by lust." This is something a woman would never want from her husband. The knight is ordered to go on a quest to find out what women want most, in exchange for his life. He hears many different answers, and as his deadline approaches, he finally comes across an old hag. She tells him that she can give him the answer if he does what she will request in the future, and the knight agrees. The hag tells him that women want sovereignty in a marriage more than anything else. When her answer turns out to be right, his life is saved. The hag then requests that he marry her. The knight protests because she was very old and ugly. He marries the hag anyway and she asks him if he would rather have a wife who is beautiful and unfaithful or one who is ugly and loyal. The knight passively lets her decide for him. This turns out to be exactly what the hag (and all women) wanted. The hag becomes beautiful, which is what the knight (and all men) wanted. Their marriage becomes happy because they both compromised.
It seems like the Wife adds this story to back her point of view of how men should always obey their wives to stay happy. Even King Arthur hands over the Knights case to his queen and we see a happy ending for what would've otherwise ended in an execution.
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