Reading Notes: Canterbury Tales, Part A

• The Unknown Bride



Source: Study

• Knight must find out what "women desire most of all" or Queen Guinevere will kill him
• Old woman promises to tell him the answer if he will do whatever is the first thing she asks of him
• The answer is: to rule over their husbands
• She tells him he has to marry her. But she is old and poor
• She asks if he would rather have her old and poor, but faithful, or young, beautiful, but unfaithful
• When he replies that he would rather have her as he is (after complaining about her), she becomes young and beautiful
• Commentary
• Why is this guy rewarded for complaining, and then deciding to be happy when he really doesn't have a choice?
• Why does she want him if he is going to be a jerk to him?
• This reminds me of a story where a wife was only beautiful at night. and the man must decide if he will be happy with this or want someone he can show off.
• When I tried to google this story, I came up with nothing. But I know I didn't make this up because I'm not that clever. 
•  I think that she deserves better than this guy. 
• Also the magic of how she became young and beautiful wasn't explained? How did that happen?

The Unknown Bride: The Chaucer Story Book by Eva March Tappan (1908).