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Sophia Cabrera

Ms. Figueroa

Senior English, Period 4

18 December 2018

The Beauty Within, Defines True Love

“Beautiful has nothing to do with looks. It’s how you are as a person and how you make Commented [f1]: No contractions

others feel about themselves.” A tale titled The Wife of Bath, is about a knight who has to find Commented [f2]: 3rd person only

the answer of what women desire most due to the queen’s quest. Because of his disownment, if

he doesn’t find the answer he shall be put to death. On his journey he runs into an old woman Commented [f3]: contraction

also known as a crone, who agrees to help him as long as he obeys the first thing she demands of

his service. The first thing she asks of him is to marry her. The knight dreads marrying the crone

because she is old, poor and ugly. Although, he has to do what the woman asks or he shall be

hung. The knight gives sovereignty to the crone and she happens to flourish into a young,

beautiful, faithful woman due to the woman changing his mindset. Chaucer defines love not

within age but with what goodness lies within and how love is something that can only be

identified within a person and how they treat others.

The beauty that lies within is what makes someone fall in love, excepting who they are; Commented [f4]: *accepting

flaws and all, brings out the persons true colors. Bringing out those true colors makes that Commented [f5]: - flaws and all -

individual beautiful on the outside as well as inside. Chaucer demonstrates this when the newly

weds are together discussing how he seems miserable with someone like her. She then says,

“Would you rather have me old and poor and homely and come of common folk, but a faithful,

loving wife; or, perchance, young and rich and handsome and high birth, but careless of your

love and maybe false to you?” (Chaucer P.21). The wife determines what the husband truly
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wants for his soulmate and realizes that beauty lies within the human, not just physical Commented [f6]: From

appearance. Chaucer also defines love as something that can only be identified within a person

and how they treat others by the old crone in the tale saying, “…that a man is not noble because

he is the son of duke or an earl, but because he himself does noble deeds” (Chaucer P.3).

Chaucer doesn’t define love with age, only how beautiful minded the human can be, Commented [f7]: contraction

therefore puts fourth the love and tenderness shared between one another. The importance of this

tale is understanding the theme and the definition of love and sovereignty. Chaucer believes that

ugly, old and faithful is better to love than someone beautiful, young, and unfaithful. Once the

individual seeks this like the knight did, one too might have a happily ever after and open their

eyes to something more worth gazing upon.

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Works Cited

Chaucer, Geoffrey. “The Canterbury Tales.” 1392. Commented [f8]: No indentation